Not Enough
by AdemaTrivium
Summary: He knew what they were doing, they were trying to break him. First his body and then his mind, the latter being the worst.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, so this is my first fanfic, enjoy!

Pairing : SasukexIno

Rating : T but it will probably change

I do not own Naruto.

Not Enough

* * *

He was going to freaking kill that blond, oh, yes he was. And it was going to be a very painful and slow death because apparently he had all the time in the world to think of several ways to make Naruto writhe in pain.

This was his third day in a very dark room, tied to a chair, waiting for the damn interrogator. Not exactly the best way to spend time in his opinion. The blond asshole said it was going to be fast, he even said he could try to pull some strings to make things easier for him. Well, being stuck in this place with no food and water since he arrived didn't seem that as easy as Naruto made him believe.

But he knew what they were doing, they were trying to break him. First his body and then his mind, and the latter would be the worst. No matter what strings the Hokage's apprentice pulled, he was going to pay hell. And hell meant Morino Ibiki. He didn't know what he preferred: to stay in that room for a few more days or get this done now with Ibiki. He was surely not afraid of the jounin because he feared no one. At least that is what he says to himself.

_Footsteps_. Someone was approaching his cell which _might_ have increased his heart rate. Somewhere in the depths of his mind he didn't want that knob to turn and much less that door to open.

There was no such thing as luck for people like him.

The heavy door slid accompanied by a creak sound making him suppress a shiver. The usually black room suddenly turned very bright, too bright for his eyes that passed the last few days seeing only darkness. His eyesight took a few moments to adapt and slowly he stared to see a few contours that definitely belonged to a feminine body.

Long locks of blond hair, azure eyes and a pale complexion rendered him speechless.

_Yamanaka Ino_. That was quite a surprise. The girl – no, woman – was probably the last person he expected to be standing right in front of him but he doubt it was his mind playing tricks on him.

He didn't expect a fan girl but that was obvious better that the other freak. At least this one would only make him deaf with her high squeals and perhaps annoy him to death.

"Uchiha Sasuke" it was not a squeal, far from it. The tone was in fact icy like the rest of the room.

"Missing-nin, former member of Akatsuki, Shimura Danzou's murderer." She paused only to give more emphasis to his status "Traitor."

The disdain was visible in her voice and eyes. The once cold voice was now dripping with acid telling him that ex-fan girl or not he was noting but a betrayer in her beliefs.

"I am Yamanaka Ino and I will be your interrogator."

He frowned at this. She was acting like she never knew him and he was starting to think that this was not a very good sign. Not good at all.

"You didn't have to come Shishou." She spoke in a louder and less treating voice.

He blinked. That was not directed to him but to the person that stood in the doorway, with a jounin at each side – Morino Ibiki – his worst nightmare.

_Shishou_? The Yamanaka girl, a vain and weak kunoichi was his apprentice? So the girl that had noting but her looks followed the footsteps of this monster. She was probably like him as well, the only difference being that pretty shell.

If she was indeed his pupil she would definitely not jump to his lap, patting him in the back and offering him tissues as he told his story. But he would without a doubt prefer that version.

"Oh no, I had to see this from the front lines Yamanaka." His rough voice along with the wicked grin told him that she was not going to let him go with a docile treatment - quite the opposite.

He sat in a chair that was positioned in a corner, giving him full view of Sasuke, his eyes never leaving him, with a mocking sparkle. He was there to enjoy the show, that much was clear. Sasuke just didn't know what kind of show it was going to be, probably not very pleasant. One of the jounins locked the door and leaned on it staring at Yamanaka's back.

_Surely a good sight_, he mused.

"There are two ways of doing this." Her voice brought his attention back to her from his very inappropriate thoughts for that kind of situation. "You either answer all of my questions willing or unwilling. That is your choice to make. What will it be?"

He looked at the ground pondering her question. He had to tell them, if he wanted to be accepted once again in Konoha he had no choice. But he didn't think he was ready to share all the details of his brother's death or his family past. There were several things that he would like to keep to himself.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a very hard blow to the left side of his face - very hard being an understatement. The speed of the movement made his head snapped to the side and the chains to tighten around his torso. The taste of blood filled his mouth as his jaw burned like fire. Indignation rise in him when he finally understood. That bitch had the nerve to hit him and, on top of that she gave him a punch with infuse chackra. He glared at her, fighting the urge to use the sharigan but she looked unaffected by his petty attempted to frighten her. Her hands went to her hips and she slowly lean on him showing that she was the one with the upper hand. "I asked you a question and I'm will not wait long for a response. Do not make me repeat myself."

Before he could collect himself and answer her question one of the jounins that accompanied Ibiki approach him and heal his jaw. "Do you understand your situation? If you refuse to share any information I will get it by force and one of them will heal you every time you're about to collapse." Sasuke was in deeper shit he initially thought and when he saw her arm rise and her fist glow blue he knew he would have to be a good boy and cooperate. He didn't fail to catch the grin in Ibiki's face widening.

* * *

He though that he could no longer be more humiliated than what he already was. He had spent the last few hours answering the blond questions and if he would take more than 5 second she would unleash her wrath on him. But he should have known that it was noting compared to what was coming because, she was in fact the devil's follower.

The physical violence was something that he could take well to some degree but the mental invasion was new to him and he wasn't by far prepared to face the power of her jutsu. He saw her quickly making unfamiliar hand seals and locked her gaze on his, whispering "**_Ninpou: Hikenshin no Jutsu_**."

She entered his mind forcefully breaking every barrier he was trying to put around his thoughts. She ravished him, tortured him, make him relive every damn second of the years he was away, every damn feeling with no attenuation at all. When it was all over he confirmed if his hands were really bloodstained and if his cheeks were wet. A suddenly urge to spill out the contents of his already empty stomach took over him. He bent to one side doing what his body demanded him to do.

And there she stood, still in front of him, with a mocking look in her eyes giving his tormented ego another blow. He could almost hear her thoughts - _so weak_. Although she still had a blank expression on her face she no longer had that icy look and when she spoke he noted that her words had lost their cold tone.

"I'll give my report today to Tsunade-sama and will inform you of your predicament" She spun around and headed for the door without sparing him another glance. Ibiki rise from his chair and still smirking he ask before following the blonde

"Did you enjoy the ride boy?" His onyx eyes weakling glared at him making the older ninja laugh.

* * *

Though he was still in a dark room, his conditions were far better then the ones from before. A meal was served and he was no longer tied to a chair – he was now allowed to walk_ freely _around the room.

Several hours have past since he was left there and was growing impatience by the minute when finally the metal door opened. Whoever it was didn't turn on the light and stood by the door – the only light that entered the room was from outside, barely illuminating the person's silhouette. In the dark he could make out a women body and a long ponytail.

"I have already spoken with Tsunade-sama…" Her tone indicated nothing which made him more nervous. He knew that coming back was a double-sword edge: he might be accepted but there was also the possibility of being sentenced for his crimes- _execution_.

"Her orders are for you to stay here one more week, to go through another set of interrogation and then you are to meet the Council." He froze. Meeting the Council was probably a bad idea. He was not so sure if he could stop himself from starting a blood bath. She eyed him and sensing his discomfort she added shrugging "You came back willing, I'm sure it counts for something."

That was not his first worry but if it was he would not feel any better by her lousy attempt at comforting him. He vaguely wondered why she was no longer acting like an ice bitch to him. Looking at her leaning in the doorframe he guesses she was too tired to keep a façade.

When she got no response from the Uchiha she decided to leave but was stopped by his voice. "…Will you be the one making the remaining interrogation sessions?" She chuckled and answered him with an amused tone "I won't, I have more important matters to attend Uchiha."

He frowned. The damned blond was getting on his nerves for mocking him – _or_ for knowing too much – and she is lucky if he doesn't kill her in her sleep when he's released. He watched her leave the room and complete darkness swallowed him once more. He was tired, he was sore and mostly he was angry. Angry for someone like her to enter his mind and learn things he wasn't going to even tell Naruto. He just had to figure out if he was angry at her or at him for not being strong enough to keep her out of his mind.

* * *

I hope you liked it and I beg of you, please review it. I would like to know how you feel when you read it, if it is too rushed, grammar mistakes, etc.  
Although I like SasuxIno pairing, I think is very hard to write about Sasuke, a cold but not completely unfeeling character.


	2. Chapter 2

After the meeting with the Council Sasuke had to thank the Heavens for giving him enough self control to not go rampage and kill them all. Although he was now released he was still on probation with ANBU controlling his every action and it was going to take a while before he is able to go on missions. The Hokage had _kindly_ pointed that he was in fact still a genin and his missions as well as his payment would be accordingly to his status. At least his dumb excuse of a friend had still to pass the Chunin exam so now they had only to find a kid and make it a three-men-team. He would have to fill his days with petty activities like getting to know Konoha's new stores and streets, training grounds and looking for a kid, he could not forget. Despite his best efforts to occupy most of his time, soon Konoha became boring and he found himself in his apartment, waiting for the only part of the day that would take him out of his miserable self – lunch.

The almighty Uchiha had stood so low, so very low, anticipating lunch time with his former teammates. Not that he would ever admit it out loud, _ever_. Their company wasn't exactly good, but for someone who spent the day with absolutely noting to do, hearing Naruto talk about the ramen he was going to get next – when he had just began eating his first – and Sakura yelling and hitting him once in a while, was something he could take. For the sake of his sanity. Because whether he wanted or not, he had to have some human contact and they were the only ones who he didn't mind being with and, mostly, didn't mind being with _him_.

Even if he had come back, he was still a traitor in the eyes of everyone besides those two. Stealing a glance at the people walking with him, people he considers family, he mused about how much they had changed.

Although they still acted the same most of the time, he could see the subtle differences. A pang of something akin to jealousy crept inside of him. It was easy to see that both of them had move on, coming closer and closer to their goals. Naruto was officially the next Hokage, still being the idiot he was but now more serious.

There was no one that did not praise the fox ninja, all of the people who once had ostracized him running to him with open arms and bright smiles. _Disgusting_.

As for Sakura, she had finally accepted Lee's love and they were going steady, the ring on her finger supporting the growing rumours of the two ninjas starting a family. She had also accomplished a jounin level and was currently working at the hospital as the head of a medical team.

He wondered if his goal of restoring the clan was enough of a reason to wake up every morning. He guessed it wasn't…

* * *

The day was showing itself to be disastrous.

He had finally found a kid who wanted to make it to chunin and was willing to train with him and he had to say it was not an easy task. He had only spent that morning with him and already regretted his decision to train him. The brat was impossible. The ANBU had to make themselves known so that Sasuke wouldn't kill that pathetic excuse of a ninja. _Twice_. Adding to his already _good humour_ Naruto spent all lunch time filling his head with juicy gossip about all the damn ninja in Konoha. _All of them_. He had to refrain himself from killing the blonde because that surely would be his free ticket to death penalty.

He was not sure if he could take it any longer so he decided to busy himself with someone else, hopping the blonde would just shut up. He looked at the females sitting with them. Sakura had a furious blush covering her features and her left eye was twitching. He wondered if the cause was the blond vixen with a devilish smile. 

_The Yamanaka_.

Not that he didn't expect to see the blonde female again, in fact Konoha was not that big and they had several common connections, but he surely didn't expect to see her every day.

At the beginning he thought that she had reverted to her old days as a fan girl tough he soon discovered that her constant presence at lunch and sometimes at dinner had nothing to do with him. The only interaction she had with him was to tease him merciless along side with Naruto. Apparently the two blonds had developed a very strong bond while he was away.

He pondered what should he say to make her talk to him or, even better, talk about something that would distract the fox container. He remembered that he had yet to see or hear about her teammates. He was quite curios as to why she spent so many time with them and not with the shadow ninja and the fat one. Sasuke always though they were very close.

"So…Yamanaka" his voice took her attention away from Sakura and her head whipped to the opposite side, her hair following the movement almost in slow motion.

"Yes..?"

"I haven't seen your teammates around…" by looking at the reaction of the three of them he knew instantly that he should have kept his mouth shut.

Both Naruto and Sakura had completely frozen, widening their eyes in pure shock. As for Ino, she merely paused, putting her chopsticks on to the counter, dropping some money and rising from her seat between the rosette and the other blond.

"Well then, I better get going" she said with a small smile on her face. A fake one, he noticed. "Some of us actually have a job." And then she took off, with tense shoulders and quick steps.

Sasuke watched her retreating back disappearing from his sight before changing his attention to the remaining two. Sakura was looking down at her food while Naruto had returned to his meal with furrowed brows. He waited patiently for an answer and Sakura decided to give him one.

"Chouji died two years ago…" her voice was low, slightly cracking. "…and a few months after that Shikamaru broke up with her and left for Suna…" her tone indicated that there was more but he didn't press the topic.

"To marry Gaara's sister." Naruto decided to finish with a harsh tone.

"And by the way, you're an asshole."

* * *

He had yet to see the Yamanaka after that particular incident. The fact that his former teammates still saw her daily made him think that she was avoiding him.

He could feel their eyes boring into him and was starting to feel pissed.

"What?" he snapped. Naruto just huffed and turn his head in an indignant manner.

"Just leave the bastard alone, Sakura-chan." Sasuke glared at the blond male. Sometimes he really would like to beat the idiot to a bloody pulp. Sakura sighed and looked at Sasuke like a mother would do while scolding a child.

"You could just go an-" "No." if they though he was going to apologise they were sadly mistaken. He didn't see the need to do so because he had done nothing wrong. Even if he did, Uchiha Sasuke did not apologise to anyone.

"I'm not trying to say you should apologise" the pink head continued now with an annoyed tone. "I'm trying to say that you should go make amends with her." He raised a brow in an inquisitive manner and when she saw the gesture, she went on with her explanation. "She just doesn't want you to press the topic. Go and talk to her, I don't know, piss her off or bang her, something along those lines…" He had to admit that he would have a hard time choosing one of Sakura's ideas, both of them looking so appealing.

"…Why should I?" "Why should you? Well, for starters we were damn fine until you blow it up, you asshole!" This was Sakura talking to _him_. Sakura, the girl that idolized and loved him when they were young. She spent too much time with the blond – no, scratch that, with the blonds. "Tough I hate to admit it, that Pig is my best friend…So go, before I make you."

* * *

It took him quite some time to finally get a glimpse of that blond ponytail. He saw her walking towards the hospital, probably to look for the pink head. He swore that this was the last time he would do something for those two. Such annoying people.

"Yamanaka." She turned around looking quite startled to see him, blinking several times trying to compose herself. "Sasuke wha-" "I heard some pretty interesting rumours." he interrupted her. She arched a thin eyebrow indicating him to continue. "I've heard that you are Ibiki's only apprentice…" he allowed is voice to show some curiosity coaxing her to fall into his trap. Her features softened considerably and she allowed a small smile to appear as she spoke, the pride evident in her voice "Yes I am." "…because you slept with him."

He watched in hidden amuse her expression contorting in anger and her darkening chackra engulfed him completely.

"Where did you hear that?" her voice dropped a few notches, becoming dangerously low as she approach him with intimidating steps. He let a smirk pull at the corner of his lips but one little part of him was not entertained at all. He knew she had the power to throw him back to his cell and by the way her eyes froze, he could almost feel the creepy humid air and hear that buzzing light.

"Are you spreading that shit around?" she had now her brows furrowed and was poking him in his chest with her index finger. "Is this some kind of revenge because I almost made you piss your panties?" She smiled at him, knowing she had hit a sore spot, a smile which had nothing friendly about it. Her killing intend could only be matched by his. He leaned on her, the height advantaged giving the impression that she was a cornered prey.

"You could only touch me because I _allowed_ you to." He answered her through clenched teeth. "Oh?" her blond eyebrows shot up in a mocking gesture. "Uchiha, do not dare to question my skills as a ninja. I could have you on the floor begging for mercy just like that." To give more emphasis she snapped her fingers in his face, provoking him.

* * *

He had to admit that she was above average. Her taijutsu was random, never following the same pattern, with fluid movements and she could easily chance from defensive to offensive. She had some impressive jutsus, especially the earth ones catching him off guard a few times and she had successfully landed some blows on him. But he was in fact going easy on her, never once activating the sharigan or drew his katana, due to the fact that the ANBU was still trailing his ass and that could be considerer a treat. And a treat was eliminated on the spot. He saw her running to him, jumping on the air while aiming her left leg at his face. He blocked it easily with his right arm and she used that momentum to launch herself backwards in a somersault landing a few meters away from him in a crouching position with her right leg stretched. That same leg slid against the soil creating a layer of dust in the air. He stood in an offensive position with a flickering kunai on his hands waiting for her next move. He vaguely saw her making some hand seals through the dust and only recognize his mistake of staying put in the same spot when he heard her shout " _Ninpou - __Shinranshin no Jutsu_**!"**

When he saw that nothing had happened he went to charge at her. The only problem being the fact that his body didn't obeyed his command. _Shit_!

The dust finally settled down and the Yamanaka was perfectly visible now. Her and the seductive smile she had upon her lips.

"Now, now, _Sasuke-kun_, I could have you do so many things…" she let her voice wander, accentuating her suggestion.

His right hand moved without his consent to his black slash, which kept his white upper kimono from opening, undoing him in a slow motion. He inwardly smirked. So the Yamanaka wasn't immune to him. She eyed the now reveal skin, making his hand touch it in a caressing manner, rising to his chest before pulling out. Now he was _very_ curious as to what she was going to do next. If she decided to take off all his clothing he wouldn't mind at all – since she would take hers as well. He glance side-ways at his hand that was now rising to his face. A loud sound of flesh-hitting-flesh echoed through the training area along with a choked sound. All the thoughts of getting in the blond's panties were instantly exchanged by murdering ones as he recovered from her actions. _She had made him slap himself_. Fuck Naruto, fuck Sakura and fuck the ANBU, he was definitely going to make her pay. Before he activated the sharigan she had already made his left hand reach his face and mimic his right one. He was beyond pissed and she stood there, barely holding the seal, trembling with laughter. She then looked up to him with tearing eyes and couldn't hold up anymore. She broke the seal putting her hands on her knees and suddenly becoming hysterical. He ran towards her at full speed, catching her off guard, and throwing her behind his shoulder, setting off to a nearby pond. As a soaked Ino rose from the pond, Sasuke was very pleased with himself: first of all she was utterly pissed off; secondly, her already tight black pants looked like a second skin and, her black top, which was bellow a long-sleeved purple jacket that reached to her midriff, hugged every curve of her breasts. He could hear her rant, his name and a bunch of treats and curses mixed in between, as she removed the excess water from her hair. When she looked up to him and notice where his eyes were glued to, she spun around, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective way screaming at him. "You fucking pervert! Freak!"

He looked at her wet back in amusement. His job here was done but he absolutely couldn't go before he gave her another push. Approaching her, he putted his head next to her ear, making sure she would feel his hot breath.

"Why so shy…?" he almost purred.

Sasuke only saw the fist whose aim was his face when it was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm really sorry it took so long and it's so small but too much was going on.

College, driving license, moving out, a living hell I tell you.

I hope you like it, it's probably full of mistakes since I've just written it.

* * *

The young woman sat there, in a wooden bench, with her delicate eyebrows furrowed and her slender arms crossed in front of her chest. She looked almost childish if not for her glare. She was not mad, no, she was beyond that, and when that happened she tended to behave like a child.

Her brain hurt due to the fact that she had spent nearly three hours, trying to find a solution for her problem, under the blazing sun. So she did the only thing that occurred to her: she loudly sighed and, after saying "I want Lee!" she pouted.

People who passed by her gave her weird looks and mothers held on tighter to their children, but Sakura didn't care. She really did miss her crazy fiancé and he was far too long gone in a mission. It was supposed to last only four months but, due to a reason that Tsunade refuses to tell her, he hasn't come home in almost a year. She did fear for his safety although one of the members of his team was Kakashi. They would protect each other, she knew.

Her mood quickly changed to one of nostalgia.

The rosette wondered how it happened, how she had come to love someone so different from the gloomy Uchiha.

Years after he was gone she still pinned for him, dreamed of his return, even if she had tried to kill him (a very pathetic moment in life she mused), he was still the man/boy of her dreams.

Time passed and Lee never gave up a fact that was probably linked to her half-hearty "no's" like she did to Naruto. But something changed, and it scared her. Suddenly Naruto was a man, rather then a boy, a very find one in fact, that no longer craved for her attention or love. He was taller, his hair longer, very similar to his father, his tanned and muscular body almost sinful, broad shoulders and, more than that, was the way he held himself, how he just seemed to exude power.

He no longer blushed for her, no, he blushed for the women who clung to him for dear life, with batting lashes and coy smiles. Not that he would take those women to his bed, he was simply astonished that someone, females for that matter, would willing to touch him.

And her, in fear of being left behind, finally gave a chance to Lee. She turned that "no" in a hesitant "yes" and allowed him to take her out a few times. He was so caring, so loving, that Sakura knew for sure that she didn't deserve a man like him. Still, even after she admitted to herself that Lee could give her happiness and love that no other man could, she was ashamed. Ashamed to walk beside a man wearing a very tight green vest, extremely thick eyebrows and, a spirit that could only be matched by Konoha weirdest person.

She didn't want that, not when she had Naruto crawling for her, not when the most beautiful men she had ever laid eyes on would court her best friend, Ino.

She was not only ashamed of Lee, she was ashamed of herself, for having such petty worries, and for hurting him.

It was then that Sakura realised how an inspiration Ino truly was.

Yes, Ino, that little vain girl that only had time to care about her appearance and boys had grown into a gorgeous woman with a curvaceous body and a sharp mind. Over the time she had proved herself to the world with her improvement in speed, stamina, strength, tactics and jutsus.

She not only had been part of the ANBU, she was Ibiki's only apprentice.

And, that woman, who was every man's desire, could only look at Shikamaru. Not that he was ugly, he was a very nice man, but, Ino could have anyone, she would only have to look at them and they would throw themselves at her feet.

Sakura could still recall her words when she had asked if the blond had never felt that the lazy ninja was not _man_ enough for her. She had widened her eyes and blurted a very loud "_What?_" before answering.

"_Not man enough for me, Sakura? What do you mean? How could I ever think that?_" but even without further explanations the blond understood what she meant, they weren't best friends for nothing.

"_I don't care what other people think Forehead, he is the most wonderful man I know, and I love him for that. That feeling is more than enough._"

She had smile and turned her head to the side, trying to hide her blush. "_I love him so much that…that I wish to spend the rest of my life by his side…"_

Sakura didn't know how to thank the blond for giving her the words she needed. It didn't matter what people think of Lee, he was who he was, and he loved her, for that she was grateful.

Their relationship was everything she could ever want and, her boyfriend was the best, but she had to be sincere: she was kind of jealous of her friend.

She thought that after Chouji's death they wouldn't stand to look at each other and remember every moment that the team Ino-Shika_Chou had been through but no, they hold on to their love and healed each other broken heart. They had stand in front of his coffin holding hands and crying. Sakura could not put in words the level of intimacy that transpired in that moment. In that moment she _knew_ that Shikamaru was the only man for her and Ino was the only woman for him. She _knew_ if they survived that, they would survive everything.

She remembered one night that she came banging at her door, completely pale and hyperventilating. She had to calm the blond before asking what happened. Tears streamed down her now flushed face and Sakura almost stormed of her house to kill the only person that could put her best friend in that state- Shikamaru- if not for her words.

"_He is going to propose to me_". And she told her, how Shikamaru's mother had grab her shoulder when she was leaving after dinner and whispered to her that her son had asked her for her wedding ring. A ring that had been in their family for generations. Sakura had cried alongside with her friend.

So, she _did not understand_ how a week later Shikamaru was leaving Konoha with the Sand brothers, she _did not understand_ how he could leave Ino to be with that bitch. That had killed Ino.

She pushed her lips into a thin line with that memory.

She had never hate anyone more that in that moment. Her hate got greater when Yoshino told her to give Ino her family ring because Shikamaru had said he didn't want to give it to Temari. The rosette had though that he would return for her friend, definitely, so she decided to keep the ring until he came back. She was wrong once again.

She didn't know what to say to her friend, she didn't know how to ease her pain so she let it be, selfishly telling herself that she would eventually get better.

Sakura had been such a lousy friend in several situations but that was the worse. The way she ignore how the blond drank herself to oblivion and went home every night with a different man still made her heart ache. Yet, Ino never mentioned it, never blame her or accused her of not being present. No, she was too much of a good person to do that.

Only when the Yamanaka had come from a B ranked mission bruised and battered, had the pink head ninja decided to step in. She wanted to do it subtly, approaching her slowly and try to bring the old Ino back. She jus didn't know that someone was already doing what she was supposed to do, someone besides her was responsible for the color that was returning to Ino's face, for the life that was returning to those blue eyes and for the increased frequency of her smiles.

That someone was Naruto. He was the one who went to pick her up at the bars before she got extremely drunk, the one who accompanied her every morning to work, the one who walked so close to her that his arm and hand would brush hers, the one who would say or do something so stupid that made her pale face lit up with laughter.

She never known how deep their relationship went but she suspected; She wouldn't have mind it at all, it would be good for both of them, only if Shikamaru's ghost was gone. It wasn't and the three of them knew.

Sakura wasn't exactly trying to break them apart although she did hope that Naruto would see his mistake, she hoped that he would see that Ino had not forgotten the shadow ninja. He didn't.

So, when she got the news of Sasuke's return she knew that Ino would throw herself at him, she had to. Hell, Sakura wasn't so sure if she wouldn't do the same. But she didn't.

_Damned blonds_…

It was starting o get to her nerves the way Ino seemed to be immune to the Uchiha's charms when he so obvious would drag her home if she batted her eyelashes at him. _How ironic_.

Sakura wasn't stupid, she could see the way his eyes lingered on her retreating form or how he smirked when she was annoying someone besides him.

Now her plan was to make Ino drunk enough to take Sasuke home and, make him too interested in her to keep her from kicking him out in the morning. She just didn't know how.

* * *

Hope you didn't hate it too much.

I swear the next one won't take as long and will be better!:)

Just to let you know, I'm not trying to make Sakura evil.


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, chapter 4!

Sorry it took so long, but in my defense, college sucks.

Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"Uchiha…"

He looked up to his right side where a female was sitting, facing him, with her elbow propped on the table, a hand supporting her face.

"uhn…?"

"How badly do you want a mission?"

The man in question didn't even bother to answer, continuing to eat his steaming ramen without even sparing a glance at her.

"Not like your last one, of course. It would have nothing to do with pulling weeds and being sexually harassed by elderly women."

That remark earned her a full glare, turning her smirk into a full grin, just like a Cheshire cat.

"I was not haras-"

"Oh, so it is how you get paid? "

Sasuke really didn't know which of the two blonds he hated the most, but right now Ino was definitely winning. His expression of hate along with the noise of his chopsticks breaking must have been comical, because she pressed her lips together and her cheeks puffed, making strangled noises, like she was ready to burst out laughing right in his face. He_ was_ going to kill her if she dares.

But she didn't. Instead, she leaned towards him with a serious face. Her closeness brought her smell along, a floral odor hitting his nostrils.

"This involves blood, lots of it. And an interrogation cell."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I need this mission done and someone who can take it. Ibiki-shishou referred you so I tough you would be interested."

That didn't sound right. If Ibiki referred him then he shouldn't accept the mission, even if his career depended on it.

He decided to return his attention to his bowl after Ayame have given him another set of chopsticks.

Ino sensing that she was being ignored came even closer to Sasuke and spoke in a tone slightly louder than a whisper.

"I'm serious. He wants you in ANBU Special Squad."

Sasuke eyed her looking for any sign that indicated that the blond was lying but he found none. When Ino felt that he was convinced enough she returned to sit straight in her seat.

* * *

It took all of Sasuke's self control to stop his eyes from widening.

After hearing the blond talking non-stop about how a good chance the mission was, he decided to accept it just to shut her up, following her to the Hokage's Tower.

To his surprise, sitting on a desk, delivering scrolls, was none other than the young prodigy, Hyuuga Neji.

But that was the least. The events that followed were at a minimum bizarre.

He watched as Ino smirked, opened her front zipper from her coat, giving the world a great view of her impossible tight top, and gracefully walking up to him.

"Neji." She greeted while removing his paperwork from the desk and sitting on it in a very enticing way. The male in question simply greeted back, not even blinking at Ino's action, nor paying much thought to the paper scatter on the floor.

"Yamanka."

"Are your wounds better or do you want me to lick them until they're good?"

"I don't think that putting venom on it would help."

As a response of his remark, she leaped of the desk laughing.

"You're always a killjoy."

"Are you here to annoy me again woman?" Despite his words, the Hyuuga seemed to be quite amused with the presence of the blond.

"Not today. I'm here for a mission."

"For you?" the question was accompanied with raised brow and his tone indicated that he was not pleased with the idea.

"For him" She indicated with her head to Sasuke. Both males looked at each other and nodded in a sign of acknowledge. Neji opened a drawer from his desk and took several files from it, showing them to Ino. "This one. Don't bother with scroll, I'll explain it to him later."

She waved her hand at him, heading for the door, but stopping halfway to look around and back at him.

"Oh, but good luck finding it."

* * *

The trio made their way between the branches of the towering trees, and, despite their weariness of the past days, and the tension that they were exposed for several months, at entering the Fire Country, their traveling speed increased considerably.

It had been risky, _too risky_, in fact. The team that was sent to this assignment had never worked together, and infiltration missions always required absolute care. Just one slip and the whole mission, and team, would be in a very dangerous situation. Fortunately, all of them were returning home, even if they had taken longer than expected. _But better late than never_.

Only the rustling of the leafs could be heard as they approached Konoha's gates and, before such sight, they could not stop the pleasant feeling of relief. They did their part, now they could only hope the next ones did theirs.

* * *

Long, cold and dark hallways seemed endless in ANBU building. For the past minutes, Ino has lead him through the place, making twists and turns, ascending and descending staircases, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the hard floor. It was procedure, to make sure he didn't remember the path in the future, but even that couldn't stop his inkling from rising.

_At least this time he entered through the front door_. Not that he remembered how he got in the last time, they made sure that he was completely blacked out.

They finally reached the cell zone, he could tell by the reinforced metal doors and the several guards that were sitting next to them. He noticed how all of them bowed respectfully to the blond, receiving a curt nod in response, and eyed him suspiciously.

She stopped in front of a guard, a female, and quietly but strongly told her: "Chie, he's the one who is going to do it. When he finishes, bring him to me."

"Yes Ma'am."

Ino stepped aside motioning to the door in the left side of the guard that she has just spoken to so he would come forward. She placed a hand on his shoulder and in a wicked voice whispered to him "Have fun." before vanishing in the shadows that the torches created.

The woman he suspected that was "Chie" unlocked the door for him and pushed it open. The strong smell of thick blood quickly spread along the halls. _And he thought that he was treated badly_. She turned the light on giving him a view of the empty room, except for the metal chair attached to the floor in the middle, and blood, lots of it. He felt his stomach give an unpleasant turn, and was about to ask what was he supposed to do – in his opinion the only plausible action was to burn it – when his eyes fell upon two buckets full of water and a mop.

Brown eyes lit up with mockery at his incredulous expression.

"If you need more water let me know."

And with that she left to resume her position in the hall, locking the door behind her.

The next time he saw the blond he would make sure to have his revenge, but this time he would not drop her in a freezing pond, no, that would be to nice for a bitch like her. This time we would drop her in a sty, even if he had to buy the pigs and feed them laxatives.

* * *

"Finally! Took you long enough kid."

After cleaning up the mess in that cell, Sasuke let the guard known that he was ready to leave and get it over with the blond. On his way over to her, he imagined every way of killing her in her office and how get rid of the body. No one would ever know. But because there was such a thing as karma, she was not alone. And having to get past Mitarashi Anko and Morino Ibiki was just too much trouble.

The room he was lead into was spacious, without any windows, only illuminated by several torches, with a big table in the middle were Ibiki sat on the top and Ino on his right. The walls were covered with tall shelves, full of books and scrolls, maps and several other documents he could not make out. There were also couches leaning on the walls and, in the one opposite to the Yamanaka, stood Anko with her legs crossed.

"Please, sit." Ibiki's strong voice filled the room, accompanied with a hand gesture, indicating him to sit in the couch positioned in front of him. Reluctantly Sasuke did as said while the guard left the room, giving them the privacy that the subject seemed to require.

"You see, we find ourselves in a difficult situation," he continued "and right now this seems like the best way out."

"There's a mission in which I should take part of" Ino interjected "but my usual partner, Neji, is still recovering."

Ibiki nodded and proceeded with her line of thought "This mission is very urgent and the only one available, according with the characteristics we're looking for, is who."

"Which characteristic?"

"Male, no older than twenty-five years, skill level similar to Neji, and, the most relevant, a blood limit like yours."

Sasuke frowned at this. What type of mission was this to require the use of the Sharingan?

"Why?"

"I could have no less to protect my favorite pupil, now could I?"

Ibiki had indeed a very creepy smirk, which made the young Uchiha quite uncomfortable. He glanced at Ino but her face remained devoid of all emotions. They were leaving several crucial details out on purpose, giving the impression that or this mission was ridiculously dangerous and he was their last option, or, and most probably, they didn't thrust him enough to let him know.

"It is a high-ranked mission, more likely an A mission. Do you think you're up to it?"

Sasuke pondered the question. If he were to succeed in this mission, he would definitely prove himself to Konoha. The probation that kept him from being able to leave the village could be lifted. He was ready to accept it when Ino's voice interrupted him.

"He has no bases whatsoever to withstand his decision." She spoke to her mentor.

"However," blue eyes met black ones "we'll have more information this week and then you'll make your decision."

"If you accept it, we'll have to train you a little." Anko's opinion was heard for the first time since the discussion started "I personally think we'll have lots of fun, don't you agreed?"

Even if he believed he could manhandle the snake mistress, he was not at ease with her presence. And the bloodlust smile that she was giving him right now was making his skin crawl.

"Well, then it's decided. You'll give us your answer in the end of the week. You're dismissed."

He promptly got up and walked to the door only to be remembered by Ino that he, in fact didn't know the way out. With a sigh she also got up while mumbling an annoyed "I'll walk you out".

* * *

Once again, walking beside the gaudy blond, his revenge momentarily forgotten, he wondered about the previous _talk _with the three ninjas.

One of the things he learned in the Academy was that his bond with the teammates didn't matter in a mission, you would protect them even if it costs your life, or, as later he learned from Kakashi, if it would jeopardize the mission. In this particular case, he could not stop his feelings from interfering.

Not that he would ever admit it but, he had grown fond of Ino in these past months. Her presence has been a constant in his daily life and he recently discovered that her incessant teasing comments and bitchy moods didn't bother him as much as it should.

Yes, he didn't mind at all to be the one chosen to protect her.

* * *

Do not forget, your opinion is very important to me. Let me know about mistakes or sugestions you might have.

Thank you for reading :)


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long wait, I simply didn't have any ideas for this one.

Hope you like it.

* * *

"You realized that those were lies, right?" The blond by his side inquired while giving him an intensive look, receiving only an arched black eyebrow as response.

"Not exactly the genius I was hoping you to be, Uchiha." The tiny laps of memory he had about an hideous revenge was gone, making all the rage he felt as he whipped that cell floor clean, came back followed by a mind vow of payback as soon as possible.

He watched her roll her blue eyes before continuing "They don't want you in the mission so you could protect me, actually it's quite the opposite."

His glare now was fierce, with the full intention of putting her on fire. Literally.

"Woman, I think your ego is just as big as the one of your partner. Just because of your high rank, don't think you can surpass me. _In any kind of way._ "

"You're such a frustrating little bitch! That's why Naruto was always better than you" Ino spat in his face, her face going red of fury that was reflected in her eyes "and while you don't understand the meaning of teamwork, he will always be."

The person who said that beating women was undignified clearly never met Ino. Her only luck was that he was a fucking gentleman. That and the fact that she was now leaving, deciding to end their conversation there. At least she had self-preservation, _sometimes_.

"And don't expect to have a good ninja career without it, Asshole!"

* * *

The chunin exam was approaching, leaving the kid, which was supposed to be his partner, a pile of sweat and nerves. That left Sasuke even more annoyed. Not only did he have to compete against samples of ninjas half his age, as he had to carry pretty little _Saburo _across the second stage. _If he passed the first one_. He would die if he didn't, and by the hands of a very enraged Sharingan-user.

Sasuke's never-ending happiness only increased when his other partner, that also made him fear for the success of the team, excitedly told him the location of the exam. Apparently the blond had become quite friendly with the Kazekage of Sunagakure, and enjoyed the fact he was going to be able to visit him.

What a blast. He had no doubt that the redheaded freak will just love his presence, just like Sasuke will love the sand sticking on his ass due to the sweat.

He partly hoped that Ibiki's mission for him would interfere with the damned exam, that way he would have an excuse to dump his _team _and deal with it next year. No stupid kid and no stupid blond. Although there was a possibility that Naruto would pass it, leaving him to search for two kids to train. That wasn't happening.

At least by going to Suna for a while will postpone dealing with the other troublesome blond in his life. Her words still ring in his mind, just as clear as the moment she shouted them. In any case, she has refrain from bicthing at him during the meals she was present, making the lack of interaction between the two of them look like his fault in the eyes of his pink headed ex-teammate. He could feel the glare on his neck during the entire time until she had to resume her post in the hospital.

* * *

"Oh, I didn't know you were back. Here you are, stuffing your face, while I was thinking you were already burning in hell."

Surprisingly the insult was not thrown at the last specimen of the Uchiha clan, but at the new person that had joined them for lunch.

"Imagine my surprise when I heard that you were alive as well." Although its owner seemed to not share too much sympathy for the blond female, Akamaru quickly leaped onto his feet to welcome her.

"Hello to you too! At least someone is happy to see me." Sasuke couldn't agree more with that.

"Hey! I'm too." That dobe was such a kill-joy.

Ino smiled at the fox container, greeting him cheek caress, yearning a grin from him before he returned to his meal. Nothing could pull Naruto apart from his ramen, not even a gregarious devil such as Ibiki's apprentice.

He found it weird, their bond, how close they had become and how intimate they would act sometimes. Just like now. But that was how far they would go, at least in public. Both blonds would occasionally share looks or touches, leaving Sasuke wonder about the nature of their relationship. If they were indeed a couple that fox ninja was a lucky idiot.

"Bastard." She uttered before siting with a sighed beside him. He decided that for the sake of his sanity and her well-being, consequentially resulting in the preservation of his freedom, that he would ignore her insults, and hopping that the lack of response bores her, making her choose another target for her wrath. Possibly the Inuzuka, he just could stand more than one person eating like an animal, and he was not thinking about his oversized dog.

"Where's Forehead?" the question was aimed at all the occupants of the stall, but since none of the dark haired men seemed to acknowledge the question, after chewing the food he had in his mouth, Naruto answered her "I dunno. I went to look for her in the hospital but she wasn't there. Some nurse said that she was on vacation."

The mind user regarded the information, furrowing her thin eyebrows in confusion "Vacation, since when? I didn't know that."

"Probably since my team came back. You know, so she can give her man a nice and warming welcome home…"

"Ugh, that's too much information, Kiba, I'm trying to eat here." But she didn't look like she wanted to continue her meal, an expression of evident discomfort on her pale face.

"Ah! You're just jealous to be the single one." That would raise hell, everyone knew that despite the close relationship that the two female ninjas shared, competition was always present. And if you wanted to live a long life, you didn't trample over their pride.

"Well, and did you have any relationship in the last years where you weren't the only one aware of, or were they all one-sided?"

If Sasuke had anything to say in this argument, he would tell the dog-user to just swallow it like a man, and shut up. There was no way that he would win a verbal fight with Ino. Her tongue was just as sharp as her mind, and she was clearly the superior one in IQ points between the two of them.

The member of the Team 8 punched the table while shouting at the female, making the remaining presents cringed at his high volume "At least mine last longer than ten minutes!"

"A man who only lasts ten minutes is not enough for me, that's why you never knew how soft my sheets are."

Kiba let out a low, ferocious growl, picking up his chopsticks once again and remaining quiet for the rest of the meal, except for some curses he would let out under his breath. To the rest of them, the sound was not threatening, in fact, it could almost be linked to a wounded animal. _Or to a man being castrated_, Sasuke mused. He glanced over to his right side, where Ino sat with a glorious look upon her features and a mischievous smirk on her lips. She was indeed an infuriating being, always walking around with her nose in the air, like she was superior to every other person. What a temptation, and he didn't mean it in a sexual way.

"So you are acting like a bitch because you're envious of Sakura?" he gave a tone of certainty to his words, making it sound more like a declaration, than a question. Her smirk was abruptly gone, replaced by a furious blush and narrowing eyes. Her head whipped so fast to his side that he thought that she would break her neck. The other two tensed at seeing him provoke an already edgy Ino.

"I'm not jealous of Fore-"

"My bad, I didn't explain myself correctly. What I meant was that you were mad about the lack of attention you were receiving since Lee was back." He didn't need to activate Sharingan to know what expression she would have next, he saw it almost before it happened. Her eyes widened, her jaw went slack and a look of pure horror prevailed on her face, before it turned to outrage at his accusation. She was just so easy to tease, so easy to piss her off, making her fall in all of his traps, so much like the other male ninja of Team 7. He knew how she was when she was mad, she could do terrible things, especially to him, but he could not stop himself. Perhaps he was a masochist.

He lean over her, speaking his next words in a huskier mode, like a sensuous caress "It seems that if you have a dick, you have no idea how to use it. Do you want me to teach you?"

Her lips formed a thin line, but she answered him quickly enough, while grabbing his chin between her index finger and thumb, bringing his face much closer to hers. She was never one to disappoint "Actually, I don't have a dick, but if I did, all of you would have to be satisfied by your dirty hands. Even you would enjoy it." Her tongue came out to wet her lower lip in an erotic way, making him wonder if she would go any farther.

"Well, you two are disgusting, I'm out of here. Come on Akamaru."

She waved her hand sweetly at his retreating back after letting go of the hold she had on Sasuke's face.

"I should go too, I have to prepare for a mission."

"Another lovely interrogation?" that answer own him a very loud laugh from the she-demon "No, those ones are stored for you. Bye-bye Naruto!"

"Be careful Ino-chan!"

Now that the two males were left alone, Naruto gained a more serious look on his face while turning to his ex-teammate "I'm sure you noticed that Kakashi-sensei is back. You should go look for him."

Since the idea of coming back to Konoha had occurred to him, there were only two things that made him nervous: the possibility of death penalty because, he was in fact, a traitor, and, how his pervert of a teacher would react to his return.

It was not like he adored the older ninja. Basically, he was the one to teach him more than anyone, before Orochimaru, and he was simply there, fulfilling the role of something he didn't had but could not exactly point it out. Yes, he had felt his chackra, quite near sometimes, but never had the courage to approach him, using the excuse that he just didn't have anything to say to him, that to a certain extent, was the true.

* * *

His clock on the bedside table struck only six a.m. when a loud bagging on his door was heard. He could almost imagine his lousy excuse of a friend coming to his home, drunk as a fuck, wanting to know why he didn't went to the bar last night, where they were celebrating the return of Lee, Kiba and Kakashi. If it was indeed that stupid fox container, he would drown him in his toilet and state that he died by his own stupidity.

Since the noise didn't stop like he hopped, throwing away the covers, he made his way to the front door, opening it quite forcefully "What?"

The vision was not the one he expected: it was a ninja, but not one that he had ever seen. He eyed the Sasuke with a certain disdain, before spatting

"Hokage-sama has a mission for you."


	6. Chapter 6

Here you go, chapter 6, finally.

I'm trying to update the faster I can, the next one will be posted next month, I hope.

* * *

It has already been a week since Sasuke was last summonedto the Hokage's office, indicating that he was on that mission for six days, which meant more or less fifty-four hours of work. Yes, he was counting.

When he stood in front of Tsunade's office door, after he had been roughly awake by that nameless ninja, the Uchiha wondered if this was about the situation Ibiki had talked, the mission _to protect_ Ino. However, he doubted that it was the case, as the blonde was away for the time being, and, if they are to be partners, then private meetings would make no sense, much less if _he_ is the only one present. He really doesn't know what to think about everything revolving this mission: he doesn't know what objective it has, how long will it take, his part in it, or even Ino's. He would gladly take _any_ mission away from Konoha, just to escape the dull routine he has established for himself, but all the lack of information and lack of trust is making him wary. Meanwhile, the Chuunin Exams will take place in only three weeks. If he had to choose one of them, he probably would choose the latter.

When he passed through that door, Sasuke mused if Tsunade was touchy to be awaked at this ungodly hour.

So, in the meantime, he was in the white shed next to Konoha gates, at dawn, ready to give in to slumber, the only reason he was wide awake and tensely seated being the much older shinobi guarding the gates with him. The man had been with him for most of Sasuke's shifts and, it seem that every time he was hated even more. His glare was amplified by his physics: bulky shoulders, sharp chin and a scar that ran from his left cheek to his neck. He never opened his mouth to talk to the younger ninja, but his piercing gaze never once left him, observing his every single move. Maybe he didn't really hate him; maybe he was just a fan, who knows?

He suddenly took notice of a familiar chakra signature approaching the gates, his attention gone from the man to his left. He pondered if he was relieved for the distraction or if he was annoyed for her presence. When she told him _how Naruto was so much better _she knew exactly the stretch it was on his ego due to her relationship with the pink haired kunoichi, so alike the two males of the former Team Seven. He wasn't going to let that slide, and much less go running to her even if Sakura begged him on her knees. That bitch was going to have the treatment that she deserved.

When she walked through the gates, he wasn't even surprised that she didn't spare him a glimpse of acknowledge, her eyes firm on the path ahead. Sasuke had no intention of calling out to her as well, knowing that she recognized his chakra a long time ago. As he observed her retreating back he noted something was off: she lacked the grace she always had performing even the most insignificant task. All her posture seemed stiff, as her steps were mechanic, but at the same time, without a course.

Damned that insufferable woman! "Yamanaka" he knew she had heard, she was not far from him, but still, she didn't even flinch, nor looked back. She just kept going like before. Now he doubted that she was just ignoring him for the hell of it. Sasuke should just let her go, he shouldn't care the least for someone like her, but something on the air round her unsettled him. He rose from his position, earning mistrustful glances from the older ninja, and headed towards the blonde, taking notice of her unnatural pale skin looking even paler.

He tried again. "Ino?"

Her response was identical to the previous, pushing at the edges of a barely existent patience of the male.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Perhaps it was not the best course of action, because as he took her wrist into his hand to spin her around, forcing her to face him, she started screaming. What startled Sasuke the most was not her piercing voice too close to his ears too comfort, but the look she had in her eyes: it was simply blank. She was not screaming at _him_ for, in fact, she was not really seeing _him._ As she trashed around, trying to free herself from his grip, he awkwardly tried to calm her down.

"INO! It's me, Sasuke, damn it!"

"S-sasuke…?" said male almost sighed in relief as her big blue ocean eyes looked hesitantly in to his, sparkling in recognition. He was not prepared for the tears that suddenly spilled down her face, nor the violent shaking that took hold of her form as she held on to his front robes for dear life. He expectantly glanced at the other ninja, for some kind of clue on how to proceed with the weeping kunoichi, but the older male looked as helpless as him. As Sasuke pondered what to do, he felt the lithe body that was holding on to him went limp. Grabbing her before she had a chance to hit the ground, he took notice of her burning skin and her now red cheeks. At least now he knew where to take her. Hopefully Sakura would be there.

His hasty pace quickly brought him to Konoha's Hospital. In search of the pink haired medic, he barged through the front doors, managing to seize the attention of all the staff in the main hallway. A nurse hurriedly approached him, her eyes glued to the little form in his arms, her hands extended to touch the unconscious blonde. Without his complete aware, he gripped Ino closer to him, taking a step back, efficiently taking her away from the nurse's reach. That simple action would latter burn in his thoughts, but not for now.

"Bring Sakura, now."

"Uchiha-san, you have to let go of her, I'll-"

"I said to bring Sakura, right now."

As he gave the brunette nurse the biggest glare of her life, he watched as Sakura descended the stairs, probably already paged by some other nurse.

"Sasuke, what the f- Oh my god, Ino!"

The Uchiha just stood there as the medic checked her best friend's pulse, looking worriedly at him.

"What happened?"

"She just came from a mission. I was in a shift at the gates when she collapsed."

A gurney was positioned beside him, in order for him to place the blonde on it.

"And before she collapsed?"

"She didn't seem to…take notice of her surroundings."

A flash of something passed through Sakura green eyes too fast for him to identify what it was. Without a word to him, she turned her back, her attention now merely on Ino, and left with two more nurses, barking orders.

* * *

It was around 9 pm when a knock was heard on his door. He definitely wasn't in the mood to suffer anyone at the moment, especially not one of his ex-teammates or the Hokage (if that was another one of those coarse ninjas). He recognized the chakra with only a slight frustration, opening the door fully for her to enter.

"I though you would spend the night there."

"Well, I don't always work until dawn, there are other medics there who are paid to do so."

She entered his living room, making herself comfortable in his couch, looking rather exhausted. She sighed loudly looking at his white celling before transferring her jade eyes towards him.

"She is already awake. You should go visit her tomorrow."

"Why should I?"

"I don't think that Konoha's social flower can take three days stuck in a room without anyone to annoy. Besides, she likes your company."

He furrowed his brows. He really doubted that. Ino did not enjoy his company, she only tried to get along with him for the sake of Naruto and Sakura, that much he was certain. Of course there were people who she might hate more than him, the Inuzuka most probably one of them, but she didn't have any special feeling for him.

"I don't think so."

"You're such a pain in the ass" she rose from the couch headed to the exit "it's not like you have a busy day." She stopped to look at him from behind her rosette locks "And it's not like you don't wanna say to her how much of a prince charming you were, carrying her in your arms through half Konoha."

Sasuke stood there, with an unamused expression, regarding her.

"Has it happened before?" he knew he had hit the mark when he saw Sakura flinch almost imperceptible. She chose to remain silent, still not facing him.

"What is wrong with her?"

"I can't tell you, it's confidential. But perhaps she will."

* * *

He has been saying to himself constantly, in the last minutes, that he was only going to shut up the fox container and his former crush. Undoubtedly he would only stop by and be on his way, the awkwardness of their _fight _still present, since according to the pink medic, the blonde did not remembered much of her trip back to the village. What was that? He said he wouldn't go running towards her even if Sakura begged. He didn't recall that she did.

As he reached her door, he paused momentarily, hearing voices inside her room. She wasn't alone and, from the breach of the unclosed door he could see just who it was. There they stood, both sitting in the hospital bed, their backs against the wall, his arm on her shoulders, his dark skin contrasting with her much paler one, and his chin atop of her head. His other hand was intertwined with hers, as he spoke softly into her hair. Sasuke never imagined that he possessed such a quite tone.

He decided to leave. He had no right to intruded in such an intimate moment between the two of them and, he suspected that the kunoichi would rather have his ex-teammate to keep her company than himself.

* * *

Please review, I really need your feedback. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Here it is!

I really liked writing this one. I hope you like too.

* * *

"That was fast…"

After the moment he witnessed, the black haired ninja made his way back, the idea of sleeping throughout all the afternoon, suddenly, very appealing. He just felt very unlucky for running into the young medic, the same one he reported to where he was going, just four minutes ago.

"She was accompanied."

"Naruto is still up there? Did he say when he was leaving?"

For some reason he felt annoyed, and Sakura's voice and demanding tone was something he did not have the patience for. Sasuke turned his back on her, ignoring her as she called to him, determined to only stop in front of his dark brown couch.

He wasn't even ten feet away from the hospital when he mentally cursed his luck again.

The Uchiha mused about how much the other shinobi remained the same. He still used the same uniform, the same mask, and the same damn type of book in his hand. He stood there, rooted to the ground, waiting for some kind of action from the older man. The jounin regarded him with a lazy eye, before slowly making his way towards Sasuke. Said ninja would never admit that in the same moment Kakashi stepped forward, he swallowed hard, his back muscles stiffening considerably. He was _not_ anxious. And he most definitely didn't almost drop his jaw when his former teacher, a mere inch taller than him, chuckled, as he patted in on the head, before his visible eye glued itself to the book he was currently holding, returning his path as nothing happened.

_Really,_ that man always messed with his head.

* * *

The blonde lay on her side in her temporary bed, her front facing the nearby window. It was already close to sunset, the clashing of colors in the sky marveling her: grey clouds tried to subdue the remnants of reddish light, inchmeal, almost in an eerily way. That scenery made her feel oddly nostalgic, her mind, against her best attempts, escaping to the dark corners that she so cleverly avoided. The past, it always haunted her.

She has no idea of when it started; the Nara boy was in her life since she remembered. He was always quiet and unenergetic, colliding brutally with her fierce personality. When they were younger all of his actions served only to irritate her, causing her to wonder how her father thought they would get along. She tried, for the sake of Yoshino-san – how could she deny her closest thing to a mother figure – to take care of the lazy bum, to make him, inefficiently, have interest for anything besides looking at clouds. She would definitely lose many years of her life thanks to his manners; yet, his presence was an unwavering factor of her life, allowing her a sense of security and warmth. Still, he was just an existence in her daily life that she never bothered to give much thought to.

Over the years, during the Academy her feelings for him were already different, no longer a nuisance but a friend, a companion. Even if he would only sleep through classes, snoring away, and Chouji munching his fries, soiling their table, she felt content sitting beside them. But they were just friends, nothing more, and in her head they would never be, the idea of the trio impossible to shatter. So, she would like Sasuke, partly to annoy Sakura, partly because of his looks and skills.

However, it was the day of _that_ mission - Sasuke's retrieval mission – that everything changed. The moment they stepped back in Konoha, the entire village knew of their failure and their condition. Ino was no exception. She had never run faster; legs pumping hard on the ground below, muscles aching and eyes burning from imminent tears; that's how she made it to the hospital. Her mind was blank, incapable of even forming words as she reached her teammate. _He_ was alive. She threw her arms around his waist, tears marring his front vest and sobs racking through her. Shikamaru was alive, not many wounds visible, but it was his appearance that triggered her reaction – slump shoulders, red eyes and visible fresh mark tears on his face. But her suspicions weren't confirmed by his hoarse voice in her ear. Chouji was alive as well. She only cried harder in his embrace.

Ino doesn't remember ever hating someone as much as she did from that moment on. Just the smaller reference to the younger Uchiha would make her blood boil, all of her previous childish infatuation gone. If he would to appear in front of her and if she had the physical strength to, she would kill him, she was certain.

After that, having the boys of Team Ten out of her sight would always leave her nervous, fidgeting. Of course the Nara understood her recent behavior, he was the genius one amongst them. For that, even if it was _troublesome_, he made sure he would spend more time with her, going to the lengths of inviting her to keep him company during cloud-watching time. She would lie on the grass besides him, quietly, unlike what he would imagine, with her elbow almost brushing his. Sometimes she would engage in a basically one-sided conversation, her soft voice lulling him to sleep.

It became a natural scenery in Konoha's streets, the shadow ninja, dull and composed, accompanied of an energetic and loud blonde, as their teammate was nowhere near. Chouji might not be a genius, but he was far from stupid.

"_Come on Ino, it's late, I should take you home."_

And so they grew like that, together.

Even if their bond had developed in the past few years, Yamanaka Ino was still oblivious to why the sight of the Sand Kunoichi next to her dark haired friend would feel like a punch in the gut.

The third time she saw them together was at the end of the war: Team Ten was reunited in Yakiniku, a tradition formed when Asuma was still alive. The older kunoichi appeared, seizing all of Shikamaru's attention with her cocky smirk and witty words. The boy (or was it a man already?) got up and even though he verbally expressed his annoyance, he escorted her and her younger brothers to the gates, with an upwards tug of his lips. That counted as two or three punches in the stomach.

Ino always had a very peculiar way of dealing with people: if she felt that in any moment of the relationship she didn't have total control, she would immediately back out, the fear of betrayal and loss ever present. And that was exactly what she did with the shadow user. She was not used to jealousy, especially towards him, and that single fact confused her and scared her beyond imagination. So she simply avoided him. Instead of pacing around her teammate and spend her afternoons gazing at clouds, she focus in activities that she was sure he had no interest in – whether it was working at the flower shop or training.

It had been two weeks since they last saw each other when he entered the Yamanaka's shop, as she intently read a textbook on the counter. She remembered that day very well: she had been training with Hinata all day long and decided at the end of their session that she should use a weapon. She had been looking at several types of chakra blades when she heard the bell above the store door ring. It was close to sundown, so the shop was starting to be engulfed in a gray blanket, the shadows of the shelves already painted on the floor. When he entered it seemed like the shadows gained life, dancing around his form. He had approached her with narrowed eyes and an accusatory gaze, demanding silently an answer.

And they fought.

It began with something about his demeanor but she has no idea how it got to her lousy cooking skills. By that time he was mad, but when the topic of her joining the ANBU came up, he got furious. Her textbook lay forgotten, as they screamed face to face – literally. The instant she spoke the last sentence, he advance menacingly towards her, trapping the smaller body between his and the counter. He coldly whispered that she would do no such thing, inflaming her mood. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to latch herself at him.

And so she did.

She wanted to get back at him, to make him feel what she felt at the instant, to make him confused for all the times he allowed her to lay her head on his shoulder during their seclude times, to disrupt his inner peace as he did to her every time he not only allowed her to touch him but also held her closer. But most of all, she wanted him to simply think of her.

Only when her lips ferociously met his she understood, she loved him.

She expected from his part shock, the stiffening of his body, and eventually he would forcefully grab her by the arms and push her away. At the very least she expected a pause where she would awkwardly kiss his unmoving lips. Nonetheless, he didn't even hesitate before kissing her back with a fervor that didn't match his laid back attitude. Of course he knew even before her, he was the genius one amongst them.

She grabbed him for dear life, her hand holding onto his hair, bringing him as closer as humanly possible. When the bell rang again, echoing in the room, both teens froze in their intimate exchange. She could hear her blood pump in her eardrums as both of them looked at her astonished father. It was her turn to be stunned, while laughter erupted from the older Yamanaka. She barely paid attention to her father question aimed at the other male about how long have they been dating.

"_Just about now, Osan"_

Laughter took hold once again of her father, as he excitedly mumbled of telling Shikaku.

When they shared their first kiss, they were almost sixteen.

From then on, she met her downfall.

She found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with the Nara, immersed in his shadows like it was part of her existence, giving him absolute control. She could afford to lose it with _him_, _he was the exception_ for she putted all trust in his decision, his action. He also coaxed her subtly with his heated gaze every time she was in his vision field, his heated touch that threw her out of reality and his heated words that he whispered in her ear during their shared _passion_, like a mantra, reassuring her, disgracing her.

"_Troublesome woman, you will be the death of me one of these days."_

When her father died they were just eighteen.

When she received the news, from Morino Ibiki himself, the clock by the wall seemed to have stopped ticking, like the raindrops that could be heard when hitting the roof. All ceased. She stood there, in the living room, sitting on the couch, as tears rolled down her face, eyes devoid of all emotion and an unbearable ache compressing her heart. She doesn't know how much time passed until a tall shadow leap through her open window, calling to her and holding her, his drenched and cold clothes a reminder of the real world. An hour after, a second shadow, much more bulky, passed through the same window.

Two days later Shikamaru dragged her through Konoha's streets, to a white, small building. As they entered she took notice it was an empty apartment, on the first floor, illuminated by the morning sun. She approached the balcony, observing the commotion in the nearby market. She felt him coming up from behind her, both his hands on the railing, resting his jaw on her left shoulder.

"_It's our house now. Do you like it?"_

Three weeks later she addressed Tsunade about her resignment from ANBU, heading out to Konohagakure Intelligence Division, demanding to speak with Ibiki to ask him if her father's position was already occupied. She remembered the pride she felt bubbling in her chest when he told her that he had been saving it for her.

"_Good. Now you can make a living out of annoying people and screaming at them."_

In the first day of spring of their twenty-first birthday year, they watched horrified as the team that left a week ago, made its way back with two members short. Her Chouji, her sweet, dear friend, was gone.

She quivered in her spot in anger; how could such a big hearted person occupy _only a line_ in the Memorial Stone? In the background, she could hear the cries of her deceased friend's mother, fueling her own tears. She held onto Shikamaru's hand, for if she didn't, she was certain she would fall down. She had the idea if she let go, he would fall as well.

That night, they lay in their bed, limps entangled, and her soft pleas resounding in his ears.

"_I will never leave you, Ino, I promise."_

But he broke his promise.

It was autumn when it happened. She got home from the Intelligence Division still early, the sky painted orange, weak rays of light warming her skin. It still smelled like summer.

Their small house was covered in the same color of the sky, slightly darker. He was already there, a common sight, sitting on the floor, reclining on the green couch. The air around her smelt of tobacco, a habit she though he no longer possessed. His dark eyes fell upon her form, beckoning her to move towards him. He smoldered her with kisses, his pace agonizingly slow, and his hands covering every inch of skin, as her moans urged him to go faster. He simply wouldn't oblige.

"_I love you, Ino, so much. So very much…" _

The next morning he was leaving, the only explanation was something akin _political marriage _but she didn't listen. She just watched his retreating back, her mind furiously trying to understand why Konoha was letting go of his head strategist, why wasn't anyone stopping him, why wasn't _she_ stopping him.

In the following years to the present day, she never saw him again, never heard of him again. She was left broken, bitter and full of sadness; yet, she couldn't hate him, he was her everything, she had nothing more. She didn't have her teacher to speak warm words of encouragement; she didn't have her best friend to look out for her, to protect her, to joke around with her; she didn't have her father to hold onto her, like she was a child again, to spoil her, showering her with affection; and she didn't have _Shikamaru _to love her with scorching force, to tackle her to the bedroom floor, filling her with laughter and lazy kisses.

She couldn't stop dreaming of his return, she couldn't stop yearning for a simple letter from him. He still was _her everything_.

Her throat constricted and her eyes stung at the memory.

She sat in the hospital bed, her hair in disarray. She had to close her cerulean eyes, to stop the burning sensation. A soft sight escaped her form.

"I need a drink."

* * *

He was headed towards god-knows-where, food the only thing on his mind.

After his encounter with Kakashi, his way home had been uneventful. However, when he got home, his mind swirled with thoughts and possibilities, the sleep unable to catch up to him. So, he found himself waking somewhat close to midnight, his stomach protesting, and his impatient mood still on. Probably something was still open, even if it was a shady place; anything would do at that moment.

He felt the Yamanaka's presence nearby and he frowned: the blonde was out of the hospital, but probably not due to medic indication – she undoubtedly escaped. He pondered if praying would help him not getting involved between a screaming hot headed familiar medic and the crafty devil's apprentice. He suspected it.

She was getting closer to his current location and the thought of vanish before she could lay her eyes on him popped in his head. His consciousness quickly dismissed, keeping him still.

He never thought of Ino as weak, her title as a jounin and her position in the Intelligence Division a proof of her worth as a ninja. However, he often associated her to the word _fragile_, perhaps induced by his former teammates and their behaviors towards her: they would always try to look after her, doting her. Sasuke noticed that it would, sometimes, irritate the blonde to no end, but the look in her eyes would always soften.

But at that moment on Konoha's gates, she looked like she was already broken in a dimension far beyond his grasp.

He watched as her figure in the distance became more distinct, the light from the street lamp making her glow in warm colors. He attentively studied her as she approached him, the expression on her face inscrutable.

"Sasuke" she stood before him now. "You look…mad."

The female lightly smiled, blurring most of his uneasiness, but still he remained silent.

"I wanna thank you for…you know…" she lowered her head, strands of blonde hair brushing her face, obscuring her disturbing azure orbs.

Should he say something? Was she expecting him to comfort her or to just leave it at that, and not bringing it up again?

Her gaze was once more fixed on him, while she transferred her weight from one leg to another, impassively.

"It was nothing." He finally spoke, mostly in hope that would put an end to the conversation, the need of food still on his mind.

She didn't left like he was expecting, but appearing like she wanted to say more. He watched her biting on her lower full lip, a gesture she would often do when reluctant. It was also something that would always make him twitch internally.

"I'm heading down to Shushuya…If you would like to come, drinks are on me."

Damned woman.

He should just refuse her without second thought and go back to his initial goal, leaving her to drink herself to oblivion alone - according to Sakura. However, the image of her standing alone on one of those tables, the sake and clatter consuming her, as that sad and lost expression remained on her face, impelled him to do exactly the opposite.

"I hope you are ready to be put to shame in there."

"You'll eat those words, Uchiha."

He could always have sake for dinner.

* * *

Reviews please!


	8. Chapter 8

Sincerely, I'm not happy with this, but I simply cannot improve it no matter how many changes I make!

But I hope you like it, if not, please let me know your opinion.

* * *

The young ninja glanced at the female propped against the table across from him, a sluggish smile splattered on her features.

The alcohol was already taking its toll on her, the evidence being her blurred speech; he probably wasn't better than her, his tongue heavy and his movements lacked the usual graciousness whenever he leaned to pick up the jug of sake.

She gulped down another cup of the hard liquor and swiftly filled it again. He wondered if it was wise but refrained from making any comment. He deliberately looked at her once more, his intoxicated state clouding his judgment, making it impossible to stop admiring her and stop the thoughts that followed that action.

The establishment poor light made her complexion seem even paler, half of her smooth lines obscured by light shadows and the other half shining orange from the candle on the wall on her left side. She looked tired, most of the tension from the incident at the gate still present in her lithe form. However, she was yet the definition of raw beauty. He could _almost_ feel a pull towards her but, more than beautiful, she was an aggravating woman, far too touchy for his tastes. She was a _bitch_, but he couldn't fool himself; if she didn't have that feisty personality of hers, he wouldn't give her one third of the attention he gave her. He contemplated if that thought meant he was a masochist. It was not only that thought, but all the other _little_ things he did when in company of a certain long haired she-demon that made him certain that he was indeed one.

"Tsunade wants t'explain our mission tomorrow. It's being anticipated."

"And you found it wise to share that information only after our fourth jug of sake because…?"

Sasuke was proud of himself; although it had been hard, he had spoken an entire sentence without dragging the words like Ino. That meant he was winning.

She looked at him and a bigger smile than the one that she was sporting before ripped up on her face, like a cat that had eaten all the cream. She didn't answer him, instead she provided a smug expression while sipping on her cup.

"Is it sensible to have another so soon?" He pressed her again, in hopes to have some sort of reply. He didn't want to elaborate, but he suspected that he wouldn't have to when he saw her lower her head and tone down her smile. She traced the wood from the table with the tip of her index finger and chewed on her lower lip - he had to suppress the sudden urge to soothe it with his thumb.

"It makes no difference if we're going tomorrow or next week…besides, it's urgent that we finish it."

She made a move to grab the jug placed on the middle of the table but cool fingers wrapped around her wrist before she reached her target. Ice blue eyes looked up to him questionably but other than that, she didn't try to pry his hand away from her.

Sasuke cursed his traitorous mind, perhaps the way her lips slightly curved upwards in a melancholic smile as well, but definitely the damned sake. Before he could even assimilate what he was doing, his body was already taking action that he didn't command. He grabbed her wrist, taking note of how small and soft it was against his own calloused skin, got up from his seat across from her, and dragged her in the process. She stumble lightly on the table but allowed him to lead her away from it while she tried to process what was happening. If she were to ask the taller male before her what the hell was wrong with him, he probably would have trouble answering her - he just saw her sad expression and her reluctance to approach the subject and he felt a strange and unfamiliar spur that compelled him to take her away from that place that seemed to consume her in its obscurity, as if it would alienate her gloomy thoughts. Suddenly, he felt the cool summer breeze on his face and realized that he dragged both of them into Konoha's barely lit streets. Did they even pay the bill before leaving?

_Damned sake._

Unexpectedly he stopped his movements, turning around to look at the female that was behind him; he had yet to let go of her and seized the opportunity to do so. Said female was not counting on the abrupt change in him and crashed against his chest ungracefully. Ino felt that balance was something precarious and held on to anything that would keep her from a shameful encounter with the dirty paving underneath her. Sasuke, feeling the rough tug on his front robes, grabbed her elbows on reflex; and there it was again - that floral scent mixed with the alcohol she had been consuming previously, making his nostrils flare. He wanted to release his hold on her and force her to do the same, yet, there was the coolness of her fingers clashing with the heat of his chest adding to the softness of her skin beneath his hands and the way that her pale hair looked like silver under the moonlight that rooted him in his spot. For reasons unknown to him, his heart pick up the pace and his stomach appeared to have dropped in his gut.

Once Ino regained her footing, she let go of the Uchiha's robes, taking a step back, efficiently breaking the spell that the male was under. His hands fell on his sides and he mentally thanked the blond for her drunken oblivion of his state. He needed to be away from her, fast, or he would do something that he clearly would regret. He pondered in leaving her there but the remains of his conscience tugged at him. He clenched his jaw while deciding that the right thing to do was to accompany her home. _To her door_ he corrected his brain.

"I'm taking you home, do you still remember the way?"

She snorted and passed by him mumbling something about immunity to sake in the direction of what he hoped was the correct path to her house. He had no idea of where she lived and there was no way in hell he would bring her to his place. If she could not find the way, he would simply drop her in Sakura's, he concluded.

Sasuke staggered behind her, watching her swaying on her feet two or three times before they reached the apartment complex on a rather empty street, where he suspected she lived. She climbed the stairs to the third floor, clutching the railway for dear life, but he made no move to help her, not feeling brave enough to shorten their distance.

He eyed her front door, a dark brown tone with an obnoxious welcome mat on its feet, as she fumbled with her keys for only a moment, efficiently opening the door and casting a glance at him from over her shoulder, but never stopping on her step towards the inside of the apartment.

"I'll make some tea."

It wasn't a question, so he didn't answer her that he should be on his way home instead of staying there with her, on a house too devoid from any possible interruption were he to do something stupid. He was mentally making excuses to not leave, he knew, but he was not ready to assume that whilst a part of him hated having her around – she brought up to many things he pointedly ignored – the other part (very small one, almost nonexistent) didn't mind her at all. She defies him; that makes his blood boil in face of the challenge she presents - that he understands and knows how to deal with.

His black eyes sweep the surrounding room and Sasuke finds himself thinking that all of it screams _Ino_: flowers scattered everywhere, scrolls and books piled on the floor, the soft fragrance she always seems to carry embedded on the walls, but, what he is most draw to – she probably is as well – are the endless pictures she has on a large old bookcase. He can recognize almost everyone in them; the only exception is a woman with short blonde hair and a bright smile occupying most of the frame. However, he can guess who she might be, she resembles too much the one pacing around the adjacent chamber. He focused his attention in another one – her former team; two of them he never knew that old but he doesn't find it in his heart to pity or mourn one and acknowledge the other. Ino is between them, holding both men to her, wearing a childlike expression of happiness. He quietly muses that he doesn't recall seeing it on her – she probably isn't capable of it anymore. He caught sight of pink in the next one, but before he had the time to examine it, the small kunoichi entered the living area, a trail on her hands. She didn't stumble nor falter on her way to the small tea table positioned in the center of the room but there was yet a sluggish edge to her movements, accompanied by slightly flushed cheeks, which suggested that the alcohol was still running in her system. She sank down on the couch, eerily eyeing the steaming tea, too far away from her reach. Sasuke followed her motion and sat next to her, a good six inches between them. He grabbed one of the cups filled with tea and sipped on it while staring pointedly at the female on the other side of the couch. Her glared transferred to him, a clear "_asshole_" escaping her lips, as she threw a decorative purple pillow at him, but gave no indication that she was willing to move from her position.

The tea was hot and the flavor was of an interesting bittersweet, however it was not helping with his current situation; in fact, the soft smell that coated his nostrils almost intoxicated him further, a wave of lightheadedness succeeding every sip.

"What is this?" his voice was low as he warily eyed the dark green liquid.

"Some herbs that Shikaku-san kindly provided my father." She smiled knowingly at the ceiling, lost in remembrance of old times.

Sasuke said nothing, he knew the reputation of the original Ino-Shika-Cho team; even Tsunade's capabilities of holding down liquor paled in comparison to the trio of heavy drinkers.

"So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

She presented him with a mischievous smirk, her voice laced with amusement "Quite true."

Abruptly, the playful expression fell from her face, replaced by a grim one, as her eyes flickered with something he associated to internal conflict. Azure orbs focused on the floor and her hands came to rest on her lap, tugging at the hem of her tight top.

"Do you remember the justu I used on you during the interrogation?"

Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but she knew that the other occupant of the room heard her clearly. Sasuke's eyes grew hard at the reference of her inexcusable attitude of rummage on the confines of his mind and the air around them seemed to drop a few degrees. His lips were pressed against each other, forming a thin line, expressing his disapproval of the topic. He hadn't forgotten that moment when he was sure she relived his most intimate memories of the time he was away from Konoha, he just placed that information in some dark corner and buried it with layers of denial; he was hopping that she wouldn't bring that up again.

"When I use it…I make people's memories my _own_…" She hid her face from his view beneath her pale bangs, but he could see her knuckles turning white while fisting the black fabric. He too was grabbing forcefully the cup with his right hand, slightly surprised that it was not yet broken. Using all his willpower he kept silent, waiting to see where she was going with the conversation, as the rage build up inside him, almost blinding, at her words. He wanted nothing more than to spat at her that those memories were not hers, _they were his alone_, and then burn her underneath his fury for her audacity. She shifted uncomfortably on her seat, no doubt sensing his anger. It didn't faze her; now that she had found the courage to share that with him, she wouldn't stop. They were going to go on a mission together for Kami knows how long, he had the right to know, he _needed_ to know.

"It's one thing to feel the sadness and despair when losing loved ones, or even rage and the need for revenge…but…" he heard her voice crack, and by the strain of it she was about to cry.

"S-some people are capable of things that…that I don't think you can begin to imagine…" she finally looked at him. Her eyes were so clear that they were almost translucent, filled with unshed tears. Rosy lips tugged softly upwards in a tight, sad smile, before she spoke again. The undertone of her words almost tamed the wild fire within him.

"The feelings attached to…to _those things_…I make them my own."

Realization hit him when the last word slipped from her mouth accompanied by a lonely tear that she failed to contain. She quickly rose from her place, her stiff back to him, in hopes to hide more potential tears from his sight. She trembled at the dread that the memories of the people she _destroyed_ brought to her – it was karma, they in return were destroying her, eating away at the tin line that separated her mind from all of the stolen ones. She heard a squeak sound coming from her couch which indicated that Sasuke was standing as well. She patiently waited for the sound of her front door opening and closing but it never came; instead she felt strong fingers wrapping around her upper arm, the chill from them piercing through her clothes, pressing her to turn to face their owner.

Clearly Sasuke was not in his prime that day; he had made unwise decisions one after another and even after recognizing that his awareness seemed continued to fail him when he needed it the most – so here he was, doing the most stupid thing of the year. He had step closer to the feminine form in front of him with something in mind – what it was? _To offer comfort?_ – alarming bells going off from the closeness to her , the sound drowning in the rustle of his _gi_, too far away from his mind to make him pay attention. He didn't know what to do exactly, yet, his curiosity of how she looked like when crying – would her eyes be as clear as they were moments ago, would her cheeks and nose be flushed? – had him forcing her to turn around. She didn't look up, but he could see some tears trapped in her long lashes. With his left hand still securing her upper arm, he used the other one to raise her chin, effectively making her lock eyes with him, but not before they darted around the room, trying to find something to focus on. His thumb grazed the skin under her lower lip in an unconscious caress, as her voice registered once more in his head.

"_I _enjoyed all of it…all…and the children… if only I-"

She had sounded so broken, so damned fragile, with a fresh tear mark on her cheeks and her lower lip subtly swollen from biting down on it, and he couldn't find the strength to resist – he lowered his face to meet hers in a bruising kiss.

His hand that was previously tilting her chin crawled to the back of her slender neck, angling her head for better access, while the other one came around her body to rest on her lower back, crushing her to him. It didn't take much coaxing from Sasuke to have her relax in his arms and dive in him, answering his ministrations. Her mouth was too soft, too wet and too _hot_ for him to process any kind of coherent thought, much less concentrate on the reasons why kissing Ino was a big mistake. It didn't matter, not when one or her feminine hands was entangled in his raven hair, nails scraping on his skin, not when she tasted like sweet sake and, especially not when her soft pronounced curves were firmly pressed to his hard ones. He nibbled on her lip, mimicking the gesture she so often did, soothing it then with his tongue, extracting a long sigh from the blonde. The rush of warm air on his face seemed to pierce his numbed haze and brought him crashing down to the situation at hands – literally. This woman whom he was so fervently kissing, and planning on doing so much more, was Ino, which besides being the impersonation of evil, was the woman that he was sure Naruto had feelings for. Hell, perhaps even a relationship for the way they acted; and here he was, betraying the one person that has always trusted him, always thought of him as a brother. Although his body wanted nothing more than to keep up with what he started, he couldn't do it, not to Naruto; with that in mind he untangled himself from her, hands on her elbows, keeping her away from him. She blinked bemused, tousled hair and puffy lips, asking him silently what his reason for stopping was – probably why he began as well – making it hard for him to focus on the ability to voice words.

"We can't, Naruto…he-" he cleared his throat, his arms letting go of her, as he stepped back to put much needed space between them, and continued with a tone of finality "I can't."

He watched her features turn from confusion to anger in less than a second; how she always wore her feelings so openly was almost amusing – were it not directed at him and for her every present capability of sending him to where the sun will never shine (Ibiki makes sure of it).

"Get out. Now." She spoke every word carefully as if it was a strain not to shout them at him. Her thin brows were furrowed and her lips tugged downwards which suggested that she was not only enraged but also disgusted at him. If Sasuke was to fail noticing her threatening body language, Ino was making sure he felt the hostility of her chakra, rolling in waves off of her.

He didn't need to be told twice, her mood spiking his, and him, not being in the state of mind to have a fight, turned his back to make his way home, something he should have done the moment he felt her that night.

* * *

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, I was thinking that you wouldn't join us."

Said male gave an uncompromising response while sitting in the stool next to his pink haired ex-teammate, vaguely acknowledging the man next to her as he shot him a bright characteristic smile.

"Sasuke-san, long time no see. As youthful as ever!"

The Uchiha decided to ignore Konoha's Green Beast, his mood too dark to deal with such an optimistic person; he could almost swore that it was not perspiration that came out of his pores, it was positive energy in liquid form. He saw that Sakura, none too subtly, peered at him questionably, but refrain from voicing any questions; even if she did, he wouldn't tell her a thing. He had a growing suspicion that the medic female was trying to push him and her _supposedly_ best friend together for quite some time – he didn't understand why she thought that they could be a good match – so she would enthusiastically approve of the events that took place the previous night. He wondered if Lee had rubbed on her enough that she would strike a pose similar to his and give him the thumbs up. Although it would be a fine picture – terrible grotesque but still marvelous – he wanted nothing more than to erase any prove of it, including the unendurable blonde.

He was focusing so hard on his unappealing bowl that the other two ninjas pondered if he was willing it to catch fire. Maybe; none of them thought that the young sharingan-user was one hundred percent good in the head – too broody for it. So, when they transferred their attention to one another, they missed the instant stiffen of his shoulders when the signature chakra of a certain fox container entered his perception rage. However, Sakura did notice the way he purposely avoided looking at the loud blond that joined them and ignored the jabs thrown at him, only mumbling something under his breath.

Naruto sat down but looked like he was having a hard time keeping still on his place; he also seemed to be extra obnoxious and loud – especially next to Sasuke's left ear.

"You're awfully excited today. Care to share?"

The blond flashed a smiled that threatened to rip his face in half at the only female present, a blush climbing up his neck as a hand sheepish rose to scratch at its back.

"I'm going on a date!"

Lee rose from his seat, shouting nonsenses of youthful love and pink cheeks, unable to contain his enthusiasm; Sakura just pinched the bridge of her delicate nose, annoyance written all over her face. When her fiancé and her ex-teammate managed to calm down, she glanced nervously at Sasuke, before speaking up to Naruto.

"With who?" Sasuke watched her swallow some invisible lump and felt the urge to do the same. He knew, just as her, with whom it was; she just didn't know that it was with the same person her other ex-teammate and former crush decided to have a little rendezvous.

"Hinata-chan, dattebayo!"

He could see the surprise hatched in the kunoichi face and was sure that it was mirrored in his own – except for the slacken jaw; his was so clenched that his bone might break anytime. The blond stayed oblivious to the change in the air around him, slurping inhumanly fast on his ramen, sauce flying everywhere.

"Well, I have to go get ready. Ino-chan helped me prepare everything! Damn, I can't wait to see her face."

"She did? Already?! But you didn't finish your second bo-" Sakura started but he was in his feet and walking away with both arms crossed behind his head in no time. She looked between the dark haired male at her right and the retreating back of the other, clearly confused. Something caught her attention on him and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Sasuke. He glared half-heartedly, feeling somewhat restless under her pointed stare, willing her to _just drop_ the fucking subject. She did not however, and with almost dread creeping down on his spine, he saw the wheels spinning in her head, reaching some kind of realization.

"What did you do?"

"I did nothing" he hissed at her through clenched teeth.

"Oh you did nothing… who would believe you, you idiot?!" she spoke quietly but he could see the extend of willpower she was using to not scream at him. "You couldn't even face Naruto and now you're acting all relieved? What did you do to Ino?"

Damned women and their weird sixth sense. "I already told you, I did no-"

"Uchiha Sasuke" a firm voice sounded behind them, startling the two engrossed ninjas "Hokage-sama summons your presence in her office."

The male in question tensely nodded and rose from his seat, intended to follow the ninja's subtle demand, but a pale hand stopped his progress. "We'll finish this conversation later." She told him as he shook his sleeve free from her grasp, a frown marked in his sharp face.

"There's nothing to talk about."

Without another word he left the couple alone, bracing himself for what was to come – it was most likely about the mission he was to complete, _alongside_ with Ino. After he, so kindly, _suggested_ that she was screwing his best friend and happily kissing another man, when he was the one who couldn't keep his hands – and other body parts – to himself, she was definitely overjoyed. She was going to have his head, but not before plucking his eyeballs out of their sockets, slowly; or worse, he could just see her whining on her mentor arm, telling him how Sasuke had drunken her up so he could attack her when she was most vulnerable. Just _lovely_, he could barely wait to be in the same room than her.

* * *

Passing through the western doors to Tsunade's office Sasuke spotted bright silver blonde hair in a high ponytail accompanied by a distinctive grey one. The male jounin slightly turned to give him a smile covered by his trademark mask, but the other two females were having what it looked like a frown competition, eyes glued to each other. From his point of view it seemed like Ino was winning, determination pouring out of ever. The older blonde finally broke the stare and gave a frustration grunt, nodding almost imperceptible and the mind walker relaxed, a smile softening her features. Sasuke came to a stop between his former teacher and his current archenemy, watching as light brown eyes rested on him and noticing his presence; she looked hard and imperative just like always. He almost smirk thinking about how much she must be killing the idiot with paper work – he remembers Naruto telling him that she hated it with the same intensity he loved ramen. Her voice thundered in the quiet room filling it as she approvingly watched the three ninjas straightening their stances in response to her.

"Kakashi, explain what your team gathered in your last mission."

"My team was sent to River Country, near the border with Wind Country to investigate a series of murders. When we reached Tani, only two had taken place, but as the time passed, they became more frequent. Overall there were seven." He sighed heavily, pondering his next words.

"Although the incidents were scattered from Tani to Suna's borders, the circumstances were fairly the same: male, from sixteen to twenty six years old and a blood limit. The corpses were mutilated and discharged on public squares."

_Shit_. Now Sasuke understood what they needed him for – he was going to be bait and Ino knew this since the beginning; she had warned him even if he had dismissed her. Her voice sounded in his head more clear than the day she told him, anger no longer clouding him.

_"They don't want you in the mission so you could protect me, actually it's quite the opposite."_

The Fifth Hokage raised her hand indicating that it was enough. "Thank you Kakashi, you're dismissed."

The jounin lazily walked away from the office, shooting a sympathetic smile at the younger ninja before reaching the door.

Tsunade looked scrutinizing at him before speaking again "In four of those murders, there were two victims. They were women. I believe these crimes have been committed by some extremist group of skilled ninjas. It seems that they are trying to pass on a message, especially with the way the bodies are treated. Considering the women involved, as they did not possess a blood limit but were close to the males also murdered, they are probably a warning."

She rested her chin on her intertwined hands and fixed her eyes on Ino "The women were raped and beaten. The cause of death was internal bleeding. As for the men" hard brown met onyx "sepsis. Although the bodies were found together, it was possible to tell that the women died first."

He glanced at the female standing next to him trying to catch her expression but she was as stoic as a person can be, impossible to read.

"This is an A-rank mission and you are expected to intercept and dispatch the members of this group. Once you find the leader of this organization gather what information you can about more potential members that weren't initially eliminated."

"Hokage, is it wise that I play a part in this mission? I was a missing-nin until six months ago, my face is in every Bingo Book."

"This isn't an undercover mission, Sasuke" She smirked at him "You two are supposed to attract attention. I hope that particular fact will work in your favor."

The older female reached for a scroll and beaconed Ino to come closer and take it. "I don't know how long it will take to make contact, which depends on you, so Sasuke, you may not be in time to participate in the Chuunin Exam." He nodded at her "However, when the mission is finished only Ino needs to report back, you can stay in Sunagakure."

The male blinked to clear the confusion from his face but the ninja seated before him realized. "We believe that this group is stationary there, it was where the last cases took place. If you don't have any questions, you're dismissed."

He watched as Ino gave a respectful bow before heading to the door and he followed her. Even if she hadn't the scroll in her hand, he knew that she had much more information about this mission than him, which made him uneasy. This clearly wasn't going to be an easy mission; in order to remove all of the members from the picture they would have to be captured – assuming that it was what happened to the victims. Sasuke walked up to her, her azure eyes already scanning the written information with which she was presented, and when she was finished she handed it to him. There he found the name of the inn they're supposed to settle, alongside with two names of Suna's ninjas that were suspected members of the extremist group. He also found some details about the deaths of the victims but didn't bother to pay attention to it but, instead focusing on the female before him. She narrowed her eyes and her form tensed, arms crossing instantly under her chest.

"What?" she blurted at him, her glare escalating in intensity.

He sighed, frustration palpable in his demeanor "I thought that Naruto had feelings for you."

He said it through clenched teeth, every word eating away at his pride – he was admitting that he had been wrong but he wasn't going to apology, she would make what she wanted out of his words. He stood there beyond annoyed – he had been doing too much for that damned insufferable woman, and it was even more disturbing than it should have been because he didn't find her so much intolerable anymore. She still was, most of the times, but he found himself being permissive of her presence and even finding her amusing to some extent. It was confusing how she managed to drill into his skin, hatching her existence on the back of his mind – and he really didn't care; he had to admit, she was quite alike the other idiot (a though that almost made him _sick_), too clueless to pay attention to the barriers he built around himself and, sometimes, he didn't had the energy to force them out. Like now – he strayed from his way to try to make amends with her; like last night, when he wanted nothing more than to shut her up and stop her tears.

"Oh." He saw her blink at him as her expression turned blank before settling into a cocky little smile. "So the bastard has a conscience."

It was his turn to frown at her – that was it, she was no longer mad at him? He almost chuckled at how simple minded she was; all he did was show appreciation for something he knew she valued and her mood reverted brutally. What a weird person.

She snatched the forgotten scroll from his hands and tucked away in her coat pocket, glancing at him one last time before turning around and walking away. However, there was a light mischief in her azure eyes that he didn't quite understand but dismissed it – he didn't want another chance to irk her. It was when she stopped in her tracks and spoke with laced amusement in her words that he forced himself to relax.

"We leave today at nightfall, _anata_."

He couldn't stop the slight snort directed at her antics. For a brief second he assumed that he could name what exactly he felt about her – _attraction_.

* * *

For those of you who might not know what "_anata_" means, it's a term used by married women when talking to their husbands and it can be translated as "dear" or "beloved".

So, I'm planning on finishing this fic in two or three chapters but I think that I will rewrite it (I'm really not pleased with it).

Reviews, please!


	9. Chapter 9

And after forever I'm back. It seems that I'm always so slow with the updates, I'm sorry.

Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The Hidden Village of Sunagakure was still hours away and the heat was already unbearable. It sweep beneath his clothes and burned wherever they made contact with his skin. He mentally cursed his decision to abandon the life of a missing-nin and come back to Konoha.

Unlike the blazing sun above their heads, his mood was dark and, he could tell by the spikes in the chakra of the female beside him that she was no better. By the time they made it to Wind Country Ino was regretting her long and dark traditional ninja blue pants, fighting with the idea of ripping them off – _to hell with decorum! _– it would do wonders to their mission, they were to call attention upon them, were they not? Granted, indecent exposure was not the best way to approach the subject, but perhaps it would drag her to a cool prison cell while Sasuke dealt with crazed ninjas. Then she would make a heroic entry and save him from the clutches of the evil rapist men. Or not – _to hell with the Uchiha as well_. She wanted to shred her black top too – _great choice of color, genius_ – however, she had a feeling that it wouldn't help her situation; her bare midriff was as hot as the rest of her body, like it was being consumed by a ranging hateful flame.

She desperately searched for something to say to her travel companion just to take her mind briefly off her lovely situation: she was going to _Suna_, pretending that he was something akin to her lover, where her true previously one roamed, to attempt to be capture by a couple of murderer idiots – strong idiots, she rectified. _Fucking fabulous_.

"Hokage-sama appointed an inn for us to stay. We are supposed to head there as soon as we arrive."

He just gave her a non-committed grunt, his black eyebrows furrowing at her interjection showing his ill disposition. It was meant to be a glare, not focused on her but on the horizon, like dreading and cussing what was to come. The sweat and the pout did nothing to help his supposedly nasty expression. To Ino he just looked constipated.

_Asshole_. She hoped they finish their mission in record time so he could rot there in the desert, waiting for the Chuunin Exams, all alone. And then fail. That would make her slightly happy. He would deserve it too; he had no right to _attack_ her in the mists of his drunken haze, basically calling a lewd woman afterwards, uncharacteristically apologizing and now treat her like she was as unwanted as hemorrhoids. She hopes he gets them too. Her wicked thoughts had nothing to do with the fact that she was enjoying the attention before he pushed her away. Nothing. Nor were they connected to the way she disgraced herself in front of him, crying like those sad alcoholics in front of Shushuya when they were kicked out before lock down. She wondered if she had the right to not include herself in _that_ category.

She wasn't the one at fault – Sasuke was. He was the one that accepted the invitation that was only made out of politeness (and gratitude), who matched her drink to drink and crashed his lips _fiercely_ into hers, like one would have expected of him, smoldering her body with his. She could not be blamed for it – even if he had his head shoved deep inside his ass, the Uchiha was _damned hot, _and still her childhood crush; if one adds the fact that he had been giving her heated glances all night long and the way the sake ate at her defenses, the conclusion was that she was the victim.

Ino snorted at the thought – such a willing one, as well.

* * *

The room was spacious enough to accommodate all their needs – a full sized bed, an adjacent minimalist kitchen, a private bathroom and a balcony, a divine gift if not for the Kami forsaken place they were in, according to Ino's point of view. It was cast on dull brown and orange hues due to the dying sun outside that, combined with the worn appearance of the dark bedspread, did nothing to appease her annoyance; it looked as unwelcoming as the desert surrounding it. Her glare fell upon the single bed on their lodging.

He watched her eyeing the piece of furniture with distaste and thought that in some level he shared her apprehension – never before in his life had he _slept_ with someone else and he could just picture Ino widespread diagonally in the bed, hogging the covers and grunting occasionally. He remembered that the fox container hinted several times that she had lived with her ex-teammate, so at least she was used to sleep accompanied, yet, that knowledge did nothing to appease him – the lazy ninja was probably a man that slept through _anything_. There was something about the idea of _Ino and Shikamaru_ that made his gut constrict, acid flowing to his mouth, so he swatted it quickly. Perhaps it was because it was just too easy to see.

Ino knew that they should waste no time, yet, the last thing she wanted was to go out on that heat once more. She would refuse, as in _stomping her feet and threatening with physical and emotional harm for she was the captain of this mission damn it_ way, if the bastard was to frown upon her resolution of drowning in the shower for the next few hours instead of prancing around the hellish place pretending to fawn over him. The thought arouse a full blown sense of pyrosis – at that time an ulcer was probably born in her stomach as well. What wouldn't she give to have Neji here with her.

When she headed to the bathroom door and no sound of protest was voiced by her partner, Ino felt disappointed – she needed to blow off some steam; screaming at infuriating, molesters males had its appeal.

It's not before two hours later that she left the cool water in the tub and joined her partner in their bedroom. He lay on the bed, arms crossed behind his head, shirtless, and she thinks that perhaps it would have been better to stay looked in the bathroom for a few more hours. If nothing, just to avoid any type of confrontation.

It's his turn to disappear behind the door while she turns to the neglected mission scroll.

* * *

"Hiroyuki Atsushi. He's one of Suna's ninjas. Also one of the suspects. It says here that his only living relative is an older brother - Hiroyuki Nobu – he is away in a mission for the moment. They are usually seen in a small tavern where is believed that several illicit trades take place. No surprise in that."

Ino wrinkled her nose in disgust while reading her scroll, before tucking it once again in her pocket.

"I hope you're in the mood for sake. I know I am."

The suggestion was made without any dual meaning other than the obvious one but still she recoiled at some unknown force when she heard the words slipping from her lips. Sasuke remained impassive but the might in his dark eyes burned tenfold brighter. She tried to hide her sudden need to swallow the lump in her throat behind a glare and a hiss.

"You know what I meant."

His lips twitched in a smug smirk that he made no effort to conceal while eyeing her once more, turning around and heading towards the door. She followed, albeit unwillingly, cursing profoundly her luck.

* * *

They find the supposed hang out after forty five minutes of useless chasing and head in without much hesitation. Ino prepared herself and dove into the act, holding onto Sasuke's arm, just like old times. How nostalgic. Said male tries to fight the urge to push her away and scold his feature into something apparently less annoyed. At their arrival several pair of eyes locked on them until they sat down and ordered.

It's a show, he knew – a coy show, nevertheless, one - but when Ino glued herself to his side, warm hand sweeping beneath his _gi_, he was reminded too much about his genin days, and alike then, he didn't know how to react to her advances. It was different now, it was _hard _– her full assets were lightly pressed onto him and her feminine scent coated him, just like some nights before. So, maintaining a cool façade was the first step in this soon to be disastrous act; trying to unfocus his attention from the she-demon to the ninja sitting on the table ahead from them was the second; he was indecisive if the third was to ignore his urges when she looked at him behind her dark lashes or pretending to sip on the sake – the malefic beverage was only adding to his problems. Regardless, he has enough mindset to notice the way the dark haired ninja they were supposed to watch glances at the two of them, clearly intrigued. He is also capable of perceiving the way his eyes drag appreciatively down on what's visible from the blonde's figure. That's all they need; they only have to make sure they leave the establishment before him, so he's able to take in the Uchiha's clan symbol on Sasuke's back. Ino knew this too, so she took upon herself to give off a loud feminine squeak when they were with their backs turned, heading towards the exit door.

Although Sasuke didn't feel it, Ino's keen tracking senses detected a well-hidden presence following them at a reasonable distance almost since they left the pub. At that time she was definitely aware of the dangers of this mission, this was not some lousy job performed by some mere ninjas and possible civilians. She eyed her partner meaningfully and he imperceptible nodded. Perhaps they would have a showdown on the first night. _Not bad, bastard_. They probably have an hard on right now thinking that they can land an Uchiha.

When they arrived back at the inn, she could still feel the drowned chakra in the vicinity, watching their every move. She was startled, however, when a second chakra signature joined the first. She decided to ignore it for now, until they reached their bedroom.

She excused herself to change to her pajamas, coming to the balcony as Sasuke followed her example and went into the bathroom. She eyed the nearby trees, where she knew they were studying both of them.

_Well, let's make this interesting_. She sat herself on the railing on the balcony, waiting for Sasuke to exit the bathroom, while feeling burning eyes in her back. She heard the door creaking and forced herself to focus in the task at hand. Smirking seductively, she beckoned the Uchiha to come closer to her. Said male, seeing her bathed on the silver moonlight, her skin looking even whiter due to her paled strapped top and glistening hair, had no difficulty in following her lead. He approached carefully, tapping down the sudden heat he felt, barely aware of their audience. When he was within arms-reach, she wasted no time to snake her hands around his neck, bringing him closer, until he touched her knees. There was no sake this time and no tears, but Sasuke felt almost foolish as in that night, for allowing a simple female to bewitch him as much as Ino did. At the feeling of her warmth sweeping through his clothes, the urge to kiss her was almost overwhelming, but he waited. He wanted to see what she would do and how far she would go. That and he wants her to be the one to take the first step, to show him that she also craved him, and that he was not only a drunken kiss that could have led to a drunken mistake.

Her breath gushed his face as she whispered his name, making the calloused hands at her hips tightened considerably – a warning. Her nose skimmed the outline of his jaw, trying to push the male. Her lips followed suit and Sasuke felt his desire spike. He shifted his face a bit and she chuckled at his impatience as she kissed her way to his lips. She kissed his lower lip before tugging on it with her teeth and was rewarded with a low growl coming from the back of his throat. Aggressively he moved his lips against her, trying to get as much of her as she allowed before thinking of pulling away. His hands drifted to her thighs, parting them so he could fit between them, getting closer to the female body and crushing her to him. Ino moaned when she felt his apparent desire so close to her and he shamelessly grinded into her once. She hissed and dug her nails in his lower back, underneath his shirt before letting go of his lips and biting down on his neck. He was about to, like her, slip his hands under her top but her breath and voice on his ear stopped him.

"He is gone."

Sasuke was not proud to admit that it took a full second to understand what she meant and it took a lot more time for him to finally let go of her. His male ego was a little more than bruised at the fact that she kept a straight mind during their little session but it hurt far less when he caught side of her blushing face and softly erratic breathing. He eyed her puffed lips appreciatively and wonder if he should continue at the lust clouded gaze she sported. He decided against it and made his way back to the room, settling down on the couch.

"You better start getting cozy with that couch because you are spending your nights there."

She appeared right after him, her face back to her usual pale complexion and her voice betraying nothing of what just transpired.

"As if, Yamanaka. We could have spies on us."

"Then we draw the blinds."

His smirk grew at her playful tone and he knew that some hours after, when she went to bed, he could climb next to her and she would only fight him for a minute or two. Probably not a very good idea to sleep in the same bed as her, and not only for fear of wrestling her for the cover, but Sasuke definitely wanted to take his chances. He would deal with Morino Ibiki afterwards.

When morning came Sasuke was more than surprised that he slept all night without having to battle a blonde she-demon and that said demon was already up with a piece of toast hanging between her teeth as she went through the mission scroll once more. That woman had to possess some serious stealth ability.

"Morning, sunshine."

Her only answer was a grunt noise of acknowledgment while he sat down and rubbed the sleep out of his face.

"I never pledge you to be the snoring type."

Her voice was laced with amusement, especially at his nasty glare, his tolerance for her in the morning way lower than usual. He got up and walked towards her, stealing her half-eaten toast, eyeing it with distaste before eating it. He resumed his place on the bed, sitting near the edge, glancing at her. She was still on her pajama's top and shorts, her milky skin showing, with her hair down. She might be quite annoying but she was still something to look at.

"What are you looking at, bastard?"

"You. There isn't much too look at, but there is nothing else here."

He had a victorious smirk in his face when she bristled with anger.

"You could have me fooled." It was her turn to smile at the dark haired male.

"My acting skills are rather developed."

One of her thin eyebrows rose at this, her expression completely disbelieving, irking him. He could not hide from the blonde that yesterday he was quite aroused, and since there was nothing he could throw at her, he simply got up and left, in search of a decent breakfast, leaving her behind.

When he came back to the room Ino had exchange the couch for the bed, all sprayed on her stomach holding an old looking book. He approached her and sat down next to her, peering at whatever she was reading. She spoke without even sparing him a glance.

"Ah, where were you, anata? I missed you."

He shifted so he could get nearer her in order to whisper into her ear, half-lying next to her body.

"You could give me a warm welcome back gift, no?"

Her book hit the mattress as she abandoned it to look at him. She seemed to be assessing something before moving to kneel on the bed facing him, her expression mischievous. Her hands skimmed from his collarbone to hi nape while she skidded sensuously to straddle him, sitting on his thighs.

"What did you have in mind?"

He knew she was only teasing him, he could see it in the playful look she had on her blues eyes, and part of him could not resist pushing it further. His hands found their way to her hips and continued to slide slowly to her backside, squeezing it slightly before he pulled her so she was sitting directly on top of his groin. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and all air of mockery was gone, replaced by charged warmth.

"I think you can come up with something on your own."

Their lips met in a furious kiss, tongues and teeth clashing urgently.

Ino vaguely remembered that they were on an official mission there and this was far from right, but hell, Tsunade herself said that they should act like a couple. She was not referring to this, most likely, but she never said otherwise too. She decided to push that thought aside as her hands tested Sasuke's hard chest muscles and abdomen, smirking triumphantly when she felt his chest vibrate with a groan in response to one hand wandering dangerously on his waistband. He could feel the slim upward line of her lips on his and felt the need to retaliate by rolling them, changing their position, and let his own hands do some exploration, underneath her flimsy top. When his fingertips skimmed the underside and he heard her gasp, he no longer had any state of mind to take it as a victory over the blonde, feeling too far gone in her taste. He never meant for this to escalate like that, only a little bit of teasing perhaps but not this _I'm-about-to-ravish-you-into-oblivion_ sort of thing. Not that he was complaining. Especially not when one of her legs rose high in his back, an action that summoned his attention. One hand shot to the back of her knee, traveling down her thigh in order to reach that hot spot he could feel through his and her clothes. Before he could achieve his goal a loud knock was heard, successfully turning their full attention from each other to the door. All their senses were high and alerted for the possible threat that lurked just outside their room. Ino quickly made her way from underneath Sasuke to open it after exchanging a look with him. She straighten her clothes and hair and slowly pushed it open. Her eyes widen at the person in front of her and her lungs froze, making it hard for her to breath. Although she hadn't seen him in years, she could never forget those burning dark eyes, the angle of his jaw and his trademark ponytail. The problem was, she could not believe her eyes.

"Shikamaru?"

* * *

Reviews, please!


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